


Practice

by katydid3145



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 18:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4149120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katydid3145/pseuds/katydid3145
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Which parts of your history make you who you are?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Practice

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old work I posted on ff.net prior to Dr. Whale's backstory being explained. Just moving my stuff from there over to here.

Chapter 1

"Hows that cast feel Henry?"

"Fine."

The kid looked anything but fine. A large white cast encased his arm from just above his elbow to his hand. His long sleeve button up shirt was ripped to the shoulder, a casualty of his unfortunate meeting with the ground. Kids shouldn't wear button up shirts when playing outside. Why Regina insisted on making a seven year old dress like an old man he would never know. Speak of the devil.

"Henry, don't be rude. Thank Dr. Whale for helping you. Even though it was his job, and he made you wait in the waiting room, in pain. Suffering." She glared at him with that last word. Dr. Whale was fairly certain it was meant as a threat.

"Mom, its fine, it didn't..."

"Quiet Henry."

"Madam Mayor, as I have explained to you, I was in the middle of removing Mr. Quinn's appendix. There were several other doctors available that could have helped you but you insisted on waiting for me." Which was ridiculous when he thought about it. Originally he had thought she might have a thing for him, always insisting he be the one to treat Henry, only coming to him whenever there was something medically wrong. Flattering really, but she wasn't his type. Besides, he really didn't need the drama he could imagine sleeping with her would entail. Recently though, he had began to suspect that she didn't trust any of the other doctors. Just because he was the only surgeon didn't mean that the others didn't also attend medical school.

"Perhaps next time, Doctor, you will make sure you have your priorities right. Wait here Henry, I'm going to get us checked out of this so called hospital." Henry looked almost embarrassed by his mothers actions.

"I'm sorry about her." Definitely embarrassed then.

"It's ok, Henry. Don't apologize for someone else's actions. Let me take one more look at that before your mother whisks you back home." The cast was in place, the broken bone set. It would mend with no problems. "Everything looks good."

"Thanks again." Henry looked down at his white cast. Dr. Whale had tried to talk him into a bright neon green color but Regina had been adamantly against it. The ensuing argument was probably incredibly inane and completely beneath two responsible adults, but it had made Henry smile so Dr. Whale considered it worth it.

"I still maintain that the green one would have been visible from space and therefore better for your safety and well being." Smile number two, this was quite the rare day. "Don't worry, once you get that thing covered in signatures and drawings from friends it will look alot better."

Henry all but hid his face in his shirt. His smile dropped, and he wouldn't look Dr. Whale in the eyes.

"Henry is something wrong?"

"No. It's just that I...I don't really...I mean..."

"Henry. Let's go. Doctor." It was said like a cordial goodbye but Dr. Whale knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"Goodbye Dr. Whale."

"Goodbye Henry."

Henry was one of the most somber kids he had ever seen. He tried to remember if he had always been this way or if it was a recent development. There was no way for him to tell, he only saw the boy for yearly check ups or accidents like this one. He had no real connection with the boy, no reason why Henry would trust him over anyone else. There was a rumor that he was seeing Dr. Hopper, surely if something was really wrong then Hopper would figure it out and be able to help. He could only fix the things he could see. So he signed Henry's discharge orders and was prepared to put the incident behind him. He fully intended to forget about Henry Mills' reaction to his cast and he probably would have, if it hadn't been for the flu.

Three days after Henry left the hospital with a blank cast, he returned with the flu. It spread throughout the school like wildfire, half the town was sick with it. Most people were keeping their kids home, taking a few days off work to tend to their children. Regina Mills was not most people. She had dropped him off at the hospital, ordered Whale to "fix him" and then left. She had a meeting of some kind and she couldn't risk getting sick. He knew Regina loved Henry, he just wasn't entirely sure that her idea of what love entailed wasn't completely screwed up.

"Well looks like we meet again."

"Yea." Henry was already in a hospital gown, the covers on his bed pulled up to his chin. The boy was sweating, why in the world did he have the covers pulled up?

"How does the arm feel?"

"Fine. I'm tired. I just want to sleep."

"Alright, just let me check out a few things first. Starting with that cast." You would have thought Henry had seen a grizzly bear seeing how fast he moved away.

"No! It's fine." There was that embarrassed look again.

"Henry. I have to check it out. I promise it wont hurt. But I can't risk that something is wrong with it. I can't let you sleep until you let me see it."

Dr. Whale half expected Henry to have a naked picture on his cast the boy was so red. He looked at the arm in the cast that Henry begrudgingly offered to him. The simple, completely white cast.

"Mom said not to let anyone sign it, she said that it would look bad to have signatures on it. There wouldn't be enough room for everyone to sign and then some people would be left out and I wouldn't want anyone to feel bad, so I should just tell anyone who asks that they can't sign it...but..."

The boy tended to ramble when he was embarrassed, Dr. Whale guessed that Henry hadn't had to tell anyone what Regina said. He looked worse now than when he had first come in.

"I'm all done Henry. Just go to sleep."

"Ok."

That should have been the end of it. He had done his job. The nurses would take care of the rest of his needs. He had other patients he should check on. Dr. Whale checked his watch, 6:18. He was supposed to get off work in twelve minutes. And he was supposed to meet that check out girl from the grocery store at Granny's at 7:30. But there was something so...familiar about Henry's embarrassment. He could almost see another young boy, looking up at him, asking him to do...something. God he must really be tired, he was starting to hallucinate. He didn't have any kids and was an only child but for a second there he could have sworn...

He walked out of the hospital thirteen minutes later, fully intending on going back to his place for a quick shower. His steps slowed as he found himself outside the local hobby shop. He smiled as an idea formed in his head.

Forty five minutes later, after a quick shower and an even quicker phone call postponing his date, he walked back into the hospital. He felt his pockets for the items he had purchased earlier and walked into Henry's room. Private, of course.

The boy was laying on his side, staring at the tv in the corner. He didn't seem to be enjoying whatever he was watching.

"Is that show in black and white?"

Henry was startled from his stupor. "Yea, I like old tv shows. Don't you?" The boy was reacting very well to having the doctor appear in his room after visiting hours. "Didn't you go home for the day?"

"I never really liked the old stuff. I didn't buy a 50" inch LED tv to watch grainy black and white movies." He deliberately ignored the boys' last question. "I brought you a present."

"Why?"

"Because I was thinking about what you said earlier about not being able to have anyone sign your cast..." Henry diverted his eyes again "...and I thought that was complete bull...stuff."

Henry smirked "Bull stuff?"

"Yes, bull stuff, that is what I was going to say. Anyway so I bought you this."

Dr. Whale pulled a pen out of his pocket and handed it to Henry.

"This my young friend is a magic pen."

"A magic pen? There is no such thing as magic Dr. Whale."

"Ah, you poor misguided young man. When I say magic, I don't mean wizards and wands and all that nonsense. No, I mean magic in the way that fire was magic to cavemen, how the telephone and photographs seemed like magic to people at the turn of the century. This, Henry, is magic in it's best and truest form. This is science."

"It's a pen."

"Here let me show you." Dr. Whale uncapped the pen and began to scribble on Henry's cast.

"There. You see."

"Nothing happened. It didn't even make a mark."

"Exactly." Dr. Whale pulled the black light out of his pocket and ran it over the cast.

"You see Henry, this pen contains ink which fluoresces under the UV light causing it to glow. The only way this ink can be detected is with this light. There..." He ran the light over his signature. "Now your cast can be completely covered and your mother will never know."

"Dr. Whale, I...I don't..." Henry was on the verge of tears.

"So if we are going to cover every inch of this cast with doodles and games of hangman we should probably get started. This could take hours." Henry smiled, not one of his shy my-mother-might-be-around-so-I-know-this-wont-last smiles, but a genuine full on smile.

So thats what they did. Every inch of that cast was covered either with forged signatures of famous people (Henry thought his John Wayne was dead on, although how a seven year old knew what John Wayne's signature looked like Dr. Whale would never know) or doodles, Henry was particularly fond of the large castle Dr. Whale had drawn near his wrist.

Whale wasn't there the next morning when Regina came to the hospital and took Henry home. When he came in and saw Henry's bed empty, he felt...disappointed. Henry had mentioned last night that he had never seen the Star Wars movies, which Dr. Whale felt was a horrifying lapse in that boys childhood. He had intended to come back after his shift tonight with a portable dvd player and a copy of the original trilogy.

It was ridiculous for him to feel this way. Henry was just a patient. God, why did it feel like he was missing something, like he was forgetting to do something so important. Like there was someone...

"Dr. Whale?" He turned toward the nurse that had called to him.

"Yes?"

"There is a patient in Room 12 complaining of acute stomach pain."

"Of course. I will be right there."

What had he been thinking about?

He could have sworn it was something...important. It will come to him later perhaps. Maybe after he calls that girl back...Cynthia, Susan, it definitely started with an S or a C. She didn't seem like the type who would notice if he didn't remember her name.

Dr. Whale made his rounds and checked on his patients. Later that night, he slept with that checkout girl and never learned her name.

He wakes up every day with something gnawing at the back of his mind. Something that bugs him, that prevents him from ever having a moment of peace. He goes to bed every night knowing he had forgotten something. Knowing it is important. Knowing it is probably life or death. And every night he falls asleep, hating himself for not being able to remember.

 

Chapter 2

"You're an idiot."

"So you have said."

"I'm getting tired of doing this you know." Victor pulled the last suture through and inspected his work. The dagger wound ran along the patient's arm from elbow to wrist. Victor had perfected the art of the suture when he was twelve, so despite the vicious nature of the wound, there wouldn't be a scar. He began to wrap the arm in bandages.

"You should.."

"Try to keep the bandages from getting wet, don't put any undue weight on the appendage, wear a sweater if it's chilly outside. Victor...I got it. You've been doing this for me since I was born."

"You would think by now you would have learned how to duck." Victor started to put his tools away. "What were you thinking."

"Its my job."

"It is not your job to save every wayward child or damsel in distress."

"Victor, you know I love you brother, but do we have to have this argument every time we see each other."

"Seeing as the only time we see each other anymore is when I am sewing you up, yes."

It was an old argument. Victor couldn't even remember the first time they had it. Gerhardt would run off and do something stupid and heroic and Victor would be trailing behind, trying to keep his brother in one piece. Even when they were boys it had been the same. Victor was the more serious, the more studious of the two. He had surpassed his tutors when he was 13 and had had little patience for anything not written in a book. Gerhardt had done well in his studies but he had always been the adventurer. Trying to convince his older brother to put down his books and explore some hidden garden or secret dungeon that he had discovered on the family estate.

Victor knew how people saw him, often in complete contrast to his brother. He should probably be jealous or even hate his brother for being the perfect son, the heroic one, the knight. But he found he simply couldn't. Gerhardt was probably the only person in the entire realm that he felt anything even remotely akin to love for. Their mother had once joked that Victor got all the brains while Gerhardt had gotten all the heart. Gerhardt had always been offended by that, not for himself of course but for Victor, saying his big brother had just as much heart as anyone. Victor sincerely doubted that. In fact, he found he completely agreed with his mother. Without Gerhardt there to tell him, to keep them on the same path, Victor didn't think he would know the difference between right and wrong.

"I was coming to see you anyway."

"And you thought you would just almost get your arm cut off since you were coming to see me. Make it worth my while."

"Those thieves were going to..."

"Gerhardt, why are you here?"

Gerhardt wouldn't look him in the eyes. He shifted his feet and played with his hands. Victor had personally seen his brother charge into battles without so much as hint of nervousness. His bravery was known throughout the realm, there was probably a sonnet or two written about him. But whenever he had to sit down and have a serious talk with Victor, Gerhardt became that shy little brother he used to be. This was as familiar a routine as stitching him up had become.

"What did he say this time?" Victor continued to put away his tools. It would be easier for Gerhardt to say what he needed to, whatever their father had told him to say, without Victor looking at him. They had once sat in silence for 45 minutes because Gerhardt refused to speak with Victor staring at him.

He could only imagine what their father wanted, or why he had sent Gerhardt to do his bidding. Their father had never been shy about telling Victor about how disappointed he was in him. It was probably something to do with him not being married yet, Gerhardt was already engaged. Or how he never went to any of the social events, Gerhardt attended every ball or festival his father told them about. Victor just never saw the point in all of it. The women at those balls were always so insipid, so fragile. He would probably never be invited back to the home of the Rances family. Was it his fault that their only daughter had such a delicate constitution? She had been the one to ask him about his work, was he supposed to lie? Should not the woman he chose be able to listen to him talk about his day without having to run from the room?

Social gatherings were not his forte. He was aware of his own faults, he knew he would never have the innate charm that his brother possessed. He knew he had a tendency to be rude, or dismissive of those who he did not deem worth his time. But there was just so much to do, so much to learn, and to discover. He should not have to waste his valuable time pandering to fools.

"It's about what you are doing down here."

"That's what it is always about. I don't know why he made you waste your time telling me something that I have heard thousands of times from his own lips. I'm sure you have more important things to do. There's probably a stray dog outside that needs rescued, or a lost waif you could help find a home."

"Nothing is more important to me than you brother."

Damn. Victor hated it when Gerhardt said things like that. It made it very difficult to ignore him. He had almost responded with "More important than your fiance?" but he didn't want to be cruel to his brother. He tried to never be cruel to his brother. Gerhardt was the honest sort, always saying what was in his heart. Victor supposed that was the main difference between them. Victor only spoke what was on his mind, Gerhardt only spoke what was in his heart. Victor was convinced now more than ever that his mother had been right.

"Just tell me Gerhardt."

"If it were just father rambling then you know I wouldn't have come. We both know how he can get, but this...this is different brother. He spoke to me about some concerns he had about you and I ignored them as I always do. But then...then I was down in the square and the Millers were talking about you as well. Not the timid whispers of cowards and gossips, but as though it were a normal thing, an everyday topic to discuss. The things they were saying about you..."

"Do you believe them?"

"That you are down here, torturing children and ripping stray dogs apart just to sew them back together? Of course not Victor. I know how much you dislike even looking at children, you would never willingly touch one."

It was a good jest. Victor even smiled at it a little. But there was something his brother wasn't saying. The thing that Victor sometimes wondered himself.

"Not now."

"What?"

"You don't believe them now. Of course not. But some day."

"I would never believe such filth about you brother, that is not the reason I brought it up. I was trying to..."

"Some day, brother. Some day you might believe them because some day, it might be true."

Gerhardt was silent. Victor took his brothers silence as acceptance. He felt it was the right thing to do, to let his brother know the kind of man he truly was. He had been protecting his brother from the monsters of this world since Gerhardt was born, no reason he should stop now. Especially now that he might be one of them. It would give Gerhardt a chance to distance himself. That way when his work reached that inevitable point that most people would deem immoral, unethical, or evil, Gerhardt wouldn't be caught in the cross fire.

"Sometimes, brother, I think of things. Dark things. Things that good men would never allow to enter their minds. Usually they involve a medical procedure, or a new cure for some ailment. But the steps I would have to take to learn how the body would react to my procedures might be considered...torture to good men. For example, last week I was trying to determine a way to deal with a poisonous snake bite. I wanted to determine at what stage did the tissue death caused by the bite become untreatable and would require amputation. However, in order to gain the information I seek, I would have to inject a patient with the venom and take samples of the decaying flesh throughout every stage. The person would have to be conscious to answer my questions, and I could not give them any medication that might alter the results. Therefore I would have to watch as a man's hand slowly died and fell off, while the man sat screaming beside me. I was halfway through designing the correct protocols when I realized exactly what it was I was proposing to do to another human being. I...I am not entirely sure that one day I will get one of these ideas in my mind and I won't stop myself before I have done something truly horrifying. I think that one day brother, I might just become that man that those people in the square believe me to be."

Silence again. Good, Victor thought. Now his brother can move on. Can tell their father of the monster that he has become, that every fear he had about him was correct. He should have done this the first time one of those thoughts had tried to take hold. He had thought about it then, but had ultimately kept quiet. His little brother was the only ally he had, the only friend he had ever had. No. It would be better for Gerhardt to not be tied to someone like him. He could no longer be selfish. He had told his brother the truth, and he would accept the shunning that he would very rightly deserve.

"You're an idiot."

Victor was a genius. He had known he was smarter than everyone he had ever or would meet since he was 15 years old. He had memorized every bone, fiber, and muscle in the human body and could recite back word for word every book he had ever read. But here, standing in front of his younger brother, he could think of nothing more articulate to say than...

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Gerhardt, I think you have misunderstood what I have..."

"Oh no, I got it. You're a monster. You murder children in their sleep and drown puppies for fun. Should I run out and get a mob together with torches and pitchforks now? Or do you want me to wait a few minutes for you eat some dinner?"

"Sarcasm is not..."

"What did you expect me to say? Did you expect me to agree with you? To just write you out of my life and be done with you because of something you may or may not ever do?"

Victor knew he hesitated too long to respond.

"Oh my god. You did didn't you? Victor, for being the smartest person I have ever met, you are by far the biggest idiot I know."

"Gerhardt I am only trying to..."

"I know what you are trying to do. You are trying to do what you have always done. Protect me. Shield me from the dark and horrible nature of our world. I caught on to what you were doing when I was five Victor. I understand why you are doing it, because you're my big brother and you love me. But as your little brother it is also my job to look out for you, to make sure that the monsters to are shielding me from don't sneak up behind you. So go ahead Victor, tell me every dark and twisted thought that comes into your head. Try to push me away. It is never going to work. I am never going to give up on you. Because I know for a fact that you will never become that monster you are so worried about."

"You can't know that for sure." Now Victor was the one that couldn't make eye contact, the one shuffling his feet and keeping his hands occupied. He wanted to believe his brother, but he knew the kinds of things he thought about. He knew the desires for knowledge that drove him, that could consume him.

"I can. Because you have me brother. You will always have me." Gerhardt drew his sword.

"What are you doing?"

"When a knight makes an oath he is sworn to it. He can never break it." Gerhardt raised the sword. "I, Gerhardt von Frankenstein, do hereby swear a solemn oath. I swear that I shall never leave my brother to face his demons alone. I swear that no matter how dark his thoughts or actions become, I will always love and help him. I swear that I will always be there to fight back the monsters be they literal or figurative, and make sure that no matter the path he walks, he will never travel it alone. Do you bear witness to this oath?"

"I..."

"I swear these things by you brother. And should I ever fail in my tasks, may my death be slow and torturous."

"I don't think that's how the Knights Oath ends."

"I am serious brother."

"I...I know you are."

They stared at each other. Neither spoke, each thinking about the oath spoken, each word committed to memory forever. Words that would never leave the room. Victor smiled slightly to himself.

"You are going to tear your stitches holding your sword like that."

Gerhardt smiled and re-sheathed his sword.

"Now then, now that that's all settled. I am starving. Do you ever remember to eat?"

"The servants bring me food every so often, it's generally how I tell the passage of time."

Victor wanted to tell his brother how much he loved him. How, when those thoughts came to him, the only thing that fought them back was the idea that his brother would never do such a thing. Gerhardt would be his morality, his heart. Victor would watch his brother and learn what it meant to be honorable and good. Victor, when he was foolish enough to think such things, thought that between the two of them, they just might be able to fight off those monsters. That, against all odds, they could keep Victor human.

 

Chapter 3

Dr. Whale had enjoyed running. He had woken up at 5:00 am every morning and ran five miles through the woods behind his house. Dr. Victor Frankenstein on the other hand, couldn't understand the point of it. He understood the benefits of it, of course. But the actual physical activity was so...tedious. He remembered how it used to calm him down, so after that incident with Daniel and his arm, he decided to try it again. It was a strange thing, lacing up his shoes, putting on his headphones, knowing that he had done this a million times before for the last 28 years, but now. Now it was different, now there was a voice in the back of his head, questioning the validity of this method of relaxation. Questioning why he wasn't doing some sort of experiment to calm himself down, nothing big, he didn't even have a proper lab set up here. The curse, while being terrible and soul crushing, had done him the favor of quieting his brain down for awhile.

Victor Frankenstein was always searching, always looking for the answers. He had believed in never stopping, never becoming complacent. He had firmly believed that to never move forward, to never change, was a fate worse than death. He had had so little time for anything else in his life besides his own quest for knowledge. Then after the death of his brother, his quest had become an obsession. An obsession that he could never shake, he could not breathe without thinking of twenty different possible solutions for his brother's condition. Dr. Whale had none of those issues. He woke up, went to work, did his job, and then came home. He had no underlying motives, no deep seated desires that kept him awake at night. He didn't obsess when he didn't know the answer, he simply shrugged it off and moved on with his day. It was strange to have two different sides to yourself. He knew that deep down, Victor Frankenstein was his true original self. But really, Victor was 31 years old when the curse hit, Dr. Whale existed for 28 years. If you excluded the years he was a baby, technically he had been Dr. Whale for longer than he remembered being Victor Frankenstein. Dr. Whale had been a good enough man, an adequate doctor. But Dr. Frankenstein was a genius, in every essence of the word. There was nothing he couldn't understand or figure out given enough time.

So here he was, mile 4 of a 5 mile run and he couldn't achieve that same relaxation he used to. By now all he should be thinking about was the shower that was waiting for him and which of the nurses he would be flirting with when he got to the hospital. Instead his mind had decided to torture him with questions about his brother. Had the curse affected his realm in the same way it had affected the Enchanted Forest and here? It couldn't have affected every single realm, technically it didn't even affect this one, just the town that Regina created. Had time passed regularly in his realm? If 28 years had passed, would there be anything left of his brother's body? Would Igor have thought to preserve his brother's brain when he had failed to return home? Was Igor, or anyone else for that matter, even still alive? If the curse had affected his realm, then he had a finite amount of time to get home before his brother's body fully decomposed.

Over and over these thoughts and thousands of others, circled in his mind. Finally, he accepted the futility of running and slowed to a walk. He was never going to be able to achieve that same level of quiet ever again. As he walked his last mile home, he began to wonder. Should he want that quiet back? Shouldn't the sane thing be to completely get rid of the entire Dr. Whale personality? He had seen on his world what could happen to a man who had two conflicting personalities inside of him. The rage and horror it could cause. Who was Dr. Whale really when compared to Dr. Frankenstein? Victor was so much more than Whale could ever hope to be. Were there really any parts of that personality that were even worth keeping? Well, the ability to pick up women was a nice addition he supposed. Gerhardt had once joked that the only way he would ever find a bride was if he made one himself.

And now, now there was no guarantee that he would ever get back to his brother, to his work. He could continue it here he supposed. Although that didn't work out too great the last time. He wondered what could have gone wrong with Daniel. Maybe the preservation spell Regina had used caused a change in his brain chemistry. He doubted there was any research done on the long term effects of spells in the Enchanted Forest. They didn't even have doctors or hospitals there. No science? No questioning of how things are done, just a simple "It's magic!" and that's that? What is the molecular components to the crystals that create fairy dust? Is fairy dust the only byproduct of the crystals or can other things be created from them? He didn't want to even think about how they healed people there. He had heard a story about how a woman was shot with an arrow and instead of looking for a surgeon or hospital, they searched for a magical lake to heal her. Their world sounded like a nightmare. He supposed he should be thankful he was trapped here and not there.

He had seen, more personally than he ever would have liked, exactly what healing magic was capable of, how it could be used. But he could never be satisfied until he knew how it worked and how it could be replicated with science. He doubted that healing was something Mr. Gold did very often back in their realm. And even when he did there was probably some terrible contract involved. So those who could heal was limited to those who did magic, and every one else just had to suffer or hope they had something a sorcerer wanted. The more he learned about their realm, the more it reminded him of how his realm used to be back before...

No. That was a time, a memory best left sealed in a box in the darkest parts of his mind. Maybe he should try running again. An experiment. Yes, this running will be an experiment. He will see if it is possible to switch between the Frankenstein personality and the Whale personality as if they are separate entities. An attempt to prove that the mind of one cannot be stronger than the mind of the other if they are both within the same brain. Therefore there must be some part of the Dr. Whale personality that is just as strong as the Dr. Frankenstein personality. Or if the two parts are now too entwined, to simply let an amalgamation of the two emerge.

Perhaps that is the problem. He is trying too hard to let one have control of the other. He cannot erase the memories he has as Dr. Whale, so perhaps he can use the information he has gained through him, through this second life if you will, to help Dr. Frankenstein. The technology of this realm alone will help his work greatly. Yes, from now on, his runs will be experiments. He will see if such separations can occur and journal his successes and failures. His hypothesis will have to be in favor of an amalgamation. Not out of any sort of personal preference. No, this is purely a clinical decision. A removed, objective, decision based in science and experimentation. There would be no emotional factors to weigh, if one personality did win over the other then that was simply how the experiment would end. He merely favored synthesis between the two personalities because...because sometimes he missed the quiet. The light, unencumbered, unrestricted quiet.  
Chapter 4: Chapter 4

He wasn't one of them. And to be quiet honest he had no desire to be. He didn't share the history they did, wasn't a part of the original fight against the Evil Queen. So it was really no surprise that he wasn't included in their 'do-gooder' meetings. The last time he had tried to find out what was happening he had been punched in the face. He had no desire to repeat that experience. Not to mention he could only imagine how awkward those meetings would be with him there. Dr. Whale had certainly gotten around, and those he hadn't gotten with, he had at least tried. Granny was probably the only...no wait. There was that one time he had tried flirting with her to get free coffee. So there was no member of the do-gooder gang (as he had begun to call them in his mind) of the female persuasion that he hadn't tried to sleep with.

So really there was no reason for them to include him in their plans to stop whatever terrible thing was threatening Storybrooke this week. They didn't know him, and if they did, they would probably be even less likely to include him. He had considered throwing out his Young Frankenstein dvd after the curse had been broken. Maybe if anyone did find out he would tell them that that was the most accurate account of what happen. Basically a documentary of his life. He could only imagine how well that would go over.

They would judge him based off of second hand retellings of rumors and old movies that were in no way accurate. They could never grasp the beauty or importance of his work. The simple minded townspeople would be of no help to him either. He knew how quickly the regular folks of this town could move toward becoming an angry mob, having lead one himself. How quick they would be to judge him.

So really, ingratiating himself with the leaders of the town was never going to happen. And, when the curse was finally completely lifted, everyone would go back to their fairy tale lives and their happily-ever-afters. And he would return to his world alone. There was no point to it when he thought about it. No intellectual reason to be included in their lives or plans. He was apart from them and would always be an outsider. The only reason he would have wanted to be included was so that perhaps he could have been even the slightest bit prepared for this moment.

It was on the third mile of his morning run when he spotted him. Victor slowed his pace and removed his headphones. What was Henry doing in the middle of the woods at 5:30 in the morning on a school day? And where the hell was he going?

"Henry?" God lord the boy looked terrified. "Henry are you alr..."

"Stay Back!"

Victor put his hands up, he didn't know why really. Henry didn't have a weapon and he didn't actually seem to be afraid of him. But it seemed to generally work in movies, it was always the gesture that meant 'I mean no harm.'

"Alright Henry. I will just stay right here." He tried to use his best soothing doctor voice. The voice he used when he was telling patients bad news or calming hysterical parents down. Victor was glad he had Whale's experience in that matter. Dr. Frankenstein had a terrible bed side manner. Probably why he preferred to work with the dead.

"Can I ask what has prompted this little Mexican standoff?"

Henry hadn't moved an inch. His eyes had never strayed from Victor. Although he seemed to just now be noticing the headphones and running shoes.

"You were just running back here?"

"Do it every morning before work."

"You weren't looking for anything or...anyone?"

"No in the slightest. I just like to jog." Which was partly true he supposed. And partly true wasn't technically a lie. He used to like it. The boy seemed to relax. Victor put his hands down.

"Henry whatever..."

"It's me!" Henry blurted out almost involuntarily.

"What's you?"

Victor tried to keep up with Henry's rapid-fire speech but the boy was really on a roll. Apparently he had been keeping all this in for a while. Something about a woman named Cora and a prophesy and evil within the heart of something and good lord this boy was going quickly. Victor mentally calculated how long Henry could keep this up before he passed out. Thankfully the boy slowed before they reached that scenario.

"And a true hero would never endanger those he loves." The last sentence was more of an exhalation born of exhausted lungs than a real sentence but that one Victor got completely. Victor put the pieces together in his mind. Some woman named Cora had done some magic (of course it was magic) and made a prophesy about an evil creature that would kill everyone and Henry had some how concluded that he was that evil creature. Interesting leaps in logic the boy had made, though he was rather clever so it might very well be true. Henry looked up at Victor. He seemed to be expecting condemnation or punishment.

"What do you think I should do?"

A good man would have reassured Henry that he would never be evil. Would have told him about the power of true love and overcoming dark magic and all that fairy tale nonsense. Victor had not been raised on fairy tales like everyone else in this town. If Henry wanted to hear about that he had come to the wrong person.

"Volcano lair." That probably wasn't the best answer, although now Henry looked confused instead of scared so there was that.

"What?"

"If you are going to go evil Henry you have to do it with a little flair. And nothing says I mean to conquer the world and and I don't care who has to die to do it, quite like the extravagance of a hollowed out volcano. I mean the construction alone would probably kill hundreds." Victor determined quickly how long it would take to hollow out a volcano and still retain the lava flow.

"The lava still flowing throughout will add to the effect, we could probably even use the geothermal energy to power the entire base. It would take a few months to complete it. Of course we would use the dwarves as slave labor, they seemed to exist specifically for the purpose of mining so it wouldn't be hard to train them. And really who cares how many of those things die in the process. They aren't human so I don't know if it would even be considered murder."

Perhaps he was taking this too far. But Henry needed to be prepared for the kinds of decisions he would have to make if he did go evil. He did seem to be taking Victor's mention of genocide rather well though. Although far more relaxed than he had been earlier, Henry was still...jumpy, still frightened. This was not a Henry he was used to seeing.

"I've...I've been having..." Still the boy seemed reluctant to talk about what was bothering him.

"Henry, I just told you my plan to enslave and murder and entire people. I hardly think anything you say will shock me."

Still Henry hesitated. He kept looking back towards the woods, away from town. Whatever this was, must truly terrify him. The boy honestly believed he was a monster. Fine. Time to play the trump card.

"Victor."

Henry turned and stared.

"My real name is Dr. Victor Frankenstein. I have dug up graves and sewn together body parts from the dead. I have performed experiments that have tested the boundaries of morality. And I have eaten dinner with men who would make the monsters of any realm tremble with fear. I have seen horrors that would make most men lose their minds. My world is nothing but monsters Henry. Trust me, there is nothing you could say or do that would phase me."

Victor instantly doubted whether telling Henry, the son of the evil Queen (who hated him for the whole Daniel thing), son of former Sheriff Emma Swan (who probably hated him for having a one night stand with her mother), and grandson of current Sheriff David (who hated him without question), was a wise choice. The boy could very well tell them the truth, maybe not even on purpose. Although if Regina and David couldn't piece together who he is based on a) he is doctor and b) he can bring people back from the dead, he shuddered at the competency of the monarchy in the Enchanted Forest.

Henry was no longer looking towards the woods. His eyes were fixed on Victor.

"You're not in my book."

"Well from what I understand that book of yours only speaks of fairy tales and heroes. And I hardly qualify as a hero, wouldn't you say. I don't come from the same realm as everyone else. Whoever wrote that book probably had no idea about where I come from or who I am. Now I've just told you a rather large secret, I believe that means you have to tell me one of yours."

"I have these dreams, but they're not dreams, they're like visions or something. And I'm in them and I'm always...hurting people. Killing them. And...and I'm laughing and I like doing it. And I kill...everybody. Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Regina, Ruby, Granny, Everybody! And I'm always laughing."

"Have you told Dr. Hopper about these dreams?"

"No. He...He would just tell my family about them. He's loyal to them and would only be doing it to protect me, but I..." Henry seemed at a loss. Of course he wanted his family to help him, but somehow had convinced himself that he was beyond help. That helping him would still lead to their deaths. And Dr. Hopper had told his family about his issues before, Henry couldn't trust him to keep this secret. The situation must seem rather hopeless to him. Perhaps it was a good thing Victor wasn't a part of the good guy click, Henry might be willing to trust him. Henry probably knew how little love was lost between him and David.

"Henry. Dr. Hopper..."

"Jiminy Cricket."

"Jiminy..oh god really?" Henry nodded. That made a lot of sense actually. Victor pushed on. "Jiminy Cricket might not be a real doctor, but I am. That means whatever you tell me is strictly between us and nothing will make me tell your parents or grandparents what we discuss. How about this, whenever you have these 'visions' you come to me and we can analyze them. Dissect how you felt then with how you feel now and see if we can't determine the circumstances that would have to occur for you become evil. Between the two of us we can come up with some scenarios and ways to avoid them."

"What if...what if it's something inside of me. Something I can't control no matter how hard I try."

"Then I will come up with a way to suppress that part of you."

"You could do that?"

"I have brought people back from the dead, I think a simple serum wouldn't be too hard to accomplish. The trick will be administering it without your family becoming suspicious. We could mask them as insulin shots, say that you have developed diabetes. How would you feel about faking an incident at school?"

Victor was often surprised by how people reacted to him. He generally told people exactly what he was thinking. He could never understand why people would react so violently to what he saw as a practical solution. Most of the time they reacted with anger or outrage. A hug, however, was new.

"Henry?"

Henry pulled away and smiled up at Victor.

"Everyone else would have given me some speech about how we don't need even think about me becoming evil because it would never happen. How I have so much love in my heart. How I'm too good of a person, but Regina used to be good too. She's still capable of love, but she can also do bad stuff. It's nice to hear someone actually plan for it, just in case."

"Well I am a practical man Henry. We should probably get you back before anyone notices you are gone."

Victor put his hand on Henry's shoulder and started steering him back towards town. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"You said we. Earlier when you were talking about the volcano stuff. You said we."

"Yes, well you see Henry if you go evil then I will probably just go full evil too."

"Why? You're not bad, you save people."

Victor smiled.

"Henry you are by far the kindest and most understanding person I have ever met. If there is no hope for someone like you, then there is definitely no hope for someone like me."

Henry seemed to think about it for a few minutes.

"What if we made a deal then?"

"What kind of deal?"

"I won't go evil, if you don't go evil. That way we can keep each other in check. I'll tell you about the bad stuff I think and you will tell me if its evil and what not to do. Then you can tell me the bad stuff you think and I will tell you if its evil. That way we can keep each other good. I won't give up on you, if you don't give up on me."

"That...keeping me good Henry...it would be more responsibility than you should have to bear."

"I'm a prince now. Everyone is my responsibility." Henry was smiling now. Truly smiling. Victor looked down at him and was overwhelmed. Could he do it? Could he resist the darkness in his mind if it was the only way to save Henry? Henry was just like Gerhardt, so optimistic. So sure of the power of love and honor. Victor knelt down and looked Henry in the eyes.

"Henry, you're mother may have been the one who was supposed to save the world, but you, you are going to be the one that changes it."

"So we have a deal? You won't give up."

"I'm Dr. Frankenstein, I don't even give up on the dead."

They shook hands. Victor stood and they continued back to town. Henry seemed so different than he had a few minutes earlier. He was determined, he was sure. They would beat this, Victor knew there were no doubts in young Henry's mind. Doubts were the only thing that rushed through Victors. He knew how obsessive he could become, how dark his mind was. He would protect Henry as best he could, he would make sure that Henry never succumbed to this evil that was plaguing him. If that meant he had to lie to the boy, had to do...distasteful things to protect him, then that is what he would do. He knew he was not a hero, in his story or anyone else's. He only knew one thing for sure. He would not fail again.

Never again.

 

Chapter 5

The ruse with Henry had worked well enough. Henry had faked an episode at Granny's when Victor had been nearby. He had made the diagnosis on the spot, it could only be diabetes. Victor had originally considered having Henry do it at school, but there was no guarantee his family would have brought Henry to him or that they would have taken him to the hospital at all. Regardless, it had worked. Henry now carried around what his family thought was insulin. Henry had asked him how he had managed to find a way to suppress the darkness, to control his darker half. Victor had told the boy it was too complicated for him to be able to explain it. He didn't like lying to Henry but it was for his own good. No reason for him to know what he was really injecting himself with.

Victor had decided it would be in both their best interests if he kept a low profile around town. He didn't want anyone to get suspicious, to wonder why he was suddenly so interested in Henry. He hated what people would think he was doing if they knew who he was. Hell they probably wouldn't let him work at the hospital anymore. Questionable ethics and all that. If he couldn't do his experiments and he couldn't practice medicine, he would go mad. He needed a challenge, he needed to keep his mind and hands focused. So he tried to keep to himself more than he used to.

Although, he still flirted with every unmarried woman he saw, but that seemed to just be a habit now. The words slipped so quickly between his lips, he barely thought about them. Let alone have enough time to stop them. And that habit would help his cause; he wanted the people of this town to see him as nothing more than what he had always been to them. He was a womanizing, self-absorbed, adequate doctor. Nothing more, nothing less.

He had just committed himself to this course of anonymity the day before and was fully intent on remaining on it until he was able to return home. Perhaps it was that he had become too comfortable in this town. Perhaps it was the sudden flash of green light shattering the glass behind him, but he knew with sudden clarity that he wasn't going to be able to keep that promise to himself for very long.

He quickly ducked behind a bench as more glass exploded around him. The cars on the streets seemed to hover above the ground for a few moments, before being flung as if by an invisible giant. He could barely make out the silhouettes of people in the center of town fighting someone. Must be this Cora woman he was hearing so much about. A scream to his left pulled his attention away from the fight. He rushed to the woman on the ground. She had been knocked down, the force or whatever it was, had scared her more than caused any real damage. No broken bones, just a shallow cut on her left side. He pulled her towards Granny's, trying to get them out of the line of flying cars and god knows whatever was coming next. He closed the door behind them and turned around to see several people were already inside the restaurant. He scanned the room, there didn't appear to be any serious injuries. Most of the people had probably already been in here when the fighting started. Granny was applying pressure to a wound on a man's head, she seemed to have everything under control there. A loud bang and several flashes of light startled everyone. Then there was silence. Apparently the fight was over.

Victor moved to double check on the man with the head wound when the door slammed open behind him. David was standing in the doorway looking every bit the part of the tragic hero. Emma was draped over his arms. Victor moved to her side. He paid little attention to the others following David into the restaurant. His brain recognized that Mary Margaret, Ruby, and the seven dwarves entered the room but was too busy trying to diagnose Emma's condition to really comprehend it. She was unconscious. A wound of some sort, almost like a burn, was evident on her shoulder.

"What happened?" Why wasn't David moving faster? "Lay her on the table."

"It's no use." David was so…calm. Victor was dumfounded.

"She was hit by a Ignis curse." The whole room seemed to inhale suddenly, several people appeared on the verge of tears. Apparently this Ignis curse was well known throughout their land. Victor's brain finally recognized the state of the newly arrived combatants. Mary Margaret had tears streaming down her face. Ruby and Leroy were in similar states but both had their arms around Mary Margaret, encircling her, shielding her. Everyone looked so, defeated.

"But she's still breathing."

"The curse…" Mary Margaret began but was unable to continue. Victor might have said something incredibly insensitive about getting to the point, had Leroy not continued where she could not. "The curse is almost always fatal. It causes a person's body to heat up until…until they….combust." Spontaneous human combustion was a myth, no matter how hot a person's body became it could never catch on fire. Victor was about to say something to that effect, when David interjected.

"She doesn't have very long." David laid her down on the table, kissed her forehead, and then ran out of the restaurant.

"David!" Mary Margaret was almost in hysterics. Victor touched Emma's head. Slightly elevated temperature, nothing too severe yet.

"What causes the patients to catch fire?" He needed to know if the curse had put some kind of catalyst in her blood stream or if there was an igniter somewhere within her body. He was checking her pupils when he realized that no one had answered him. He looked up. They were crowded around Mary Margaret. Ruby was trying to convince her to leave.

"You don't need to see this Snow." He was sure other platitudes were being spoken, but he didn't have time for that now. He tried again.

"What causes the reaction?" They turned to stare at him.

"We told you, the curse…"

"Yes, the curse, I know. But how does it do it? What changes occur chemically within the body to cause such an extreme reaction?"

"It's the Ignis curse."

"Yes, I know. That's not what I'm asking. I want to know what's wrong with her."

"The magic of the curse…"

Victor didn't handle stupidity or people who wasted his time well. And in this case, it wasn't just his time they were wasting, but Emma's also.

"YES! I get it! It's a terrible curse! But what is it doing specifically to her body? What are the stages that occur prior to combustion? And so help me if any of you answer with 'it's magic' or 'it's the curse' or any variation thereof, I will punch you in the throat. Now. What. Is. Wrong. With. Her?"

"The curse…" Leroy grabbed the dwarf that was speaking behind him and silenced him with a glare. My god, these people really had no idea. They were so…

"First, she will get a very high fever. Then the eyes will turn white. Then the convulsions, that don't stop until…well, you know." He was going to kiss Granny when this was over. At least she was thinking critically.

"And how long does the whole process usually take?"

"Ten to fifteen minutes. It depends on the person." And they had already wasted several minutes on that circular 'it's a curse' conversation.

"The eyes. Is it the iris' that change color or is it a film that covers the entire eye?"

"I…I think it's some kind of a film."

Victor closed his eyes. Thousands of scenarios, symptoms, and treatments ran through his head. He discarded most of them almost immediately. This was going to take a little innovation, a little…Ah. Of course. That might work. Victor opened his eyes and pointed at Granny.

"I need you get me as much ice from your freezer as possible." He turned, snapping out directions to whomever he thought would follow them quickly and efficiently.

"Find me an Epi Pen. You, I need an electric blanket that can keep a constant temperature. I need either a scalpel or the sharpest knife you can find. Boil several sheets in hot water and keep them hot until I ask for them." Victor took the ice from Granny and started packing it under Emma's armpits, and around her neck and chest.

"Where does the combustion usually emanate from? Is it a single location or do several parts of the body go at the same time?"

"I can't say for sure but…the belly. That's usually where it starts. Regardless of where the wound is."

Of course, the wound was just and entry point for the ignition material. An Epi Pen materialized to his right. He took it and shot it into Emma's thigh. She jerked slightly and moaned. Pain receptors were still functioning then. He grabbed a bottle of alcohol and poured it over her stomach. He would have to remove…

The door slammed open again. Victor paid it little mind, he was trying to determine the best point to begin the incision. When he was operating he tended to ignore everything but the task before him.

The hand that grabbed his shoulder and jerked him away was surprising. Victor stared at Leroy in confusion. What the hell was he doing? Before he could even form the basis of an indignant response, David took Victor's former place by Emma's side. He placed what appeared to be some sort of necklace, around her neck.

"Wait." Victor tried, but a flash of light told him it was too late. David had used some sort of magic to try and save his daughter. And apparently it worked. Emma's eyes opened, she smiled up at her father.

"Did we get the bitch?"

"Almost. We will next time."

Victor saw the smiles, the hugs, and the hearty congratulations spread throughout the room. He felt ill. He had to get out of here, away from this. As they all rushed to their savior's side, Victor quietly walked out the front door.

He collapsed onto one of the outdoor dining chairs and rubbed his eyes. The adrenaline was fading now. He noticed his hands were shaking. He wasn't sure he could do this much longer.

"You were kind of amazing in there. Very calm and in charge. It was kinda hot." Victor looked up at Ruby. He tried to manage a small smile to match hers. He didn't succeed. He returned his attention back to his hands. She sat down in the chair across from him.

"What? No invitation to show me how 'in charge' you can be? No remark on how you always knew I found you attractive? You must be injured or…" Her face turned serious. "You're not hurt are you? I can…"

"No Ruby. I'm fine. Just tired is all. I do appreciate your, appreciation of my attitude though."

"Not your best line, but it was a good effort." This time he did manage a smile. They sat in silence for a few moments. Victor was about to excuse himself when David appeared.

"Ruby, Emma is…Whale? What are you doing out here?"

"You're an idiot."

Victor should probably learn to keep his opinions to himself, especially in regards to beloved town heroes.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Where did you get that necklace?"

"Gold, I mean Rumple…"

"Ah yes, the ever trustworthy Mr. Gold. Well if he said it would save Emma, why would we ever doubt him?"

"He saved Emma's life."

"At what cost? Tell me David, what price did our esteemed Mr. Gold ask of you hmm? What piece of your soul did you have to sell to keep Emma alive." David glared defiantly at him.

"I made a choice."

"Yes, of course you did. But is it one you, or they, will be able to live with? How do you know this wasn't all part of some master plan to get you in his debt? He just happened to have an amulet that would cure what everyone else seemed to think was an incurable curse?"

Victor was angry now. Didn't they realize how foolish it was to put your faith so blindly in magic? Didn't they know what could happen?

"I see what this is."

"An astounding moment of clarity on your part if it is true." Which Victor sincerely doubted it was.

"This is about me saving her instead of you. This is about me stealing your glory. You were going to put on this big show and everyone would cheer but you couldn't have saved her Whale. There is no cure besides that amulet."

Of course he could have saved her. If his estimates were correct he would have had 5 minutes and 23 seconds before Emma's body caught fire, and he only needed 4 minutes and 48 seconds to stop the reaction. There was plenty of time to save her.

"You really think that's what this is about don't you?" Victor was trying to remain calm, trying to reign in his temper. Breathe. Say nothing. Let them think whatever they want about you. What did it matter if they thought this was due to his pride?

"Look, I don't care who you think you are but…"

"David! Enough. He was trying to save her life. He was trying to keep her alive. You were both trying for the same thing. You were both trying to save her." Victor had almost forgotten Ruby was there. Impressive feat considering how beautiful she was. No wonder Whale had constantly been hitting on her. She had such a fearless spirit, it was equally no wonder she had shot him down at every turn. Victor was tired. He wanted to go home, to lie down in his bed and sleep until the sun rose on a new day. Maybe even another day after that. David seemed equally exhausted. He wondered what pound of flesh Gold would demand for his latest act of mercy.

"I'm sorry. I…I just get carried away when my family is threatened." Victor stared at David's outstretched hand, the man was actually trying to make amends. The apology sounded sincere even to Victor's cynical ears. He knew what he should do. He should shake David's hand. They would consider the matter closed. A misunderstanding brought on by the heat of a hard fought battle. No need to look any deeper into either man's actions. No one would even think on it again. Victor sighed. He was so tired. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair.

"My land is very different from yours… but it wasn't always that way. There was a time in our history when magic reigned, just as wholly and mightily as it does still in yours. Then, when I was a young boy, a sickness started spreading through the capital city. People were succumbing to this illness that just seemed to appear from nowhere. It spread without mercy. The King called together his most powerful mages, the most honored and trusted people in all the land. They looked through their ancient scrolls and came to the same answer. This was a magic they had never seen before, a vile sickness that could only have come from the darkest of hearts. So the King asked his mages how he could defeat this darkness. How he could protect and save his people. The mages told the King that there was a legendary gem, forged from a dying star that could cure this ill. But it was hidden away somewhere in the realm. The exact location was unknown to even them, but if someone could find that gem, everyone would be saved."

"People were dying everywhere, without warning or reason. So little was known about the sickness. It was originally thought that if you touched someone who had died from the sickness, it would infect you and your entire family. Bodies were left wherever they fell. You couldn't walk to the market without having to step over someone you used to see, someone you used to wave to as you walked by, someone who would smile at you when you came into their store. People simply learned to ignore, to move past all the death around them. It was the only way, the only way you could keep going."

"The King knew he had to stop this. He couldn't let his people suffer like this. So he sent entire battalions of men to each corner of the realm. Thousands of men searching for this gem. A gem that no one had seen in thousands of years, if it even still existed. People clung to this hope, the King will find the gem. We can survive this if we just hold on until the soldiers return from their quest. Within a month, a sixth of the population of the city was dead. After two months it was closer to a third, probably higher. Around the third month, a few of the soldiers returned, sick….ragged….defeated. No sign, no whisper of the gem in the North they croaked out through rotten teeth and torn flesh. Each battalion returned with the same tale. No sign. No hope. And now the disease had spread past the city walls. Each area the soldiers had visited were showing signs of the same sickness."

"Nothing could stop it. People boarded themselves up in their homes and refused to leave. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. Then. Then the King died. If the King could be killed by this, what hope did the rest of us have? Both of the King's sons died within days of their father. The people lost hope."

"A council took control of the realm. Most of the mages had died, so this council was mostly noble men and court officials. Some suggested we send more men to find the gem. But there were so few men left. Those that had not died had deserted to be with their families. Desperate, the council turned to other, more obscure, methods to fight the illness. Finally after seven months, a cure was found."

"Nearly sixty percent, untold millions of people, were dead. Mass graves took up more space than houses. Entire villages were wiped out. The entire realm lived in hopeless and sorrow for so long that it became embedded in our bones, in our blood. " Victor was trying to close the lid on this box in his mind. Why was he telling them this? He hadn't thought of it in years, everyone back home went out of their way to avoid talking about the "unpleasantness" from a few years ago. It must be the exhaustion. It was making him more forthcoming than he should be.

"What was the cure?" She had an inquisitive mind as well. No, Whale could never have handled her.

"Penicillin. Well, our version of it any way."

"So your doctors found a cure to a magical curse, it…"

"No. You misunderstand me. Our doctors didn't discover Penicillin attempting to fight this terrible affliction. They had discovered it 23 years earlier. But because magic was used to treat any malady, it was put on a shelf and forgotten about. A quaint little experiment by those strange few who couldn't just accept that magic was the only way. And the disease itself? No magic caused it. An infected water supply was the start of it all. Infection was spread through saliva. If you ate after, kissed, were sneezed on, or drank from the same well as an infected person, you got it. It could have stayed localized to the capital if the King hadn't sent thousands of infected out to every corner of the realm. The King was so convinced it was magic, that the cure had to be magical in nature, that the idea of there being any other answer never even crossed his mind."

"That is what I saw in that room just now. That same blind obedience to magic and its arbitrary rules. Magic has been the cause of every terrible event that has befallen you and yet you all still cling to it as though it were the only way. You have lived in this town for 28 years without magic and yet it's like you have all forgotten what antibiotics and defibrillators are. You have forgotten that people can be healed without having to trade away a part of your soul to do it."

"One day, your magic is going to fail you. And you will have nothing to fall back on because no one from your realm questions anything about the magic you use. You have no doctors, no scientists, no one to seek any other answers because everything has already been provided. Not a single person from my realm had to die from that plague. Be very careful David. You seem like a good man, and I'm sure you are a great King. But you cannot be so obsessed with saving people that you never question the source of the cure. Magic didn't cause the sickness in my realm, but it killed every single one of those people."

Victor rose from his chair. He had paid little attention to how David and Ruby had reacted to his little monologue. He was vaguely aware of the fact that there were several other people out on the patio with them now. He couldn't for the life of him tell who they were or when they had joined the conversation. They could be sharpening their pitchforks, ready to string him up for such blasphemy and he wouldn't notice. Why was he so exhausted? Maybe he was getting too old. He had thought his days of being a field surgeon, of having to string together a miracle with whatever knickknacks and meager supplies were on hand, were behind him.

"Now, if you will excuse me. I am going to go home, open a bottle of scotch, and drink until I pass out."

He gave a short nod to Ruby and David and walked away. He chose a deliberate pace; it wouldn't do to be seen running away. He had no reason to flee, he had done nothing wrong. But every fiber of his body screamed to move quicker, to run. Run until he couldn't breathe. Run until either his lungs or his legs gave out. Run until there was nothing. Nothing except the pain in his legs and the pounding of his heart.

Chapter 6

His hands were shaking. What an odd thing to notice at this moment. Must be the adrenaline, he diagnosed distractedly. The moment before, his hands had been calm, steady. Ready to do what they had done a thousand times before, sew or slice, stitch or wrap. Whatever was necessary. Whatever miracle he had to perform, his hands were always steady. They had to be, a surgeon with shaky hands wasn't a surgeon he was a butcher. He was nothing. He tried to steady his hands, but his damned body wouldn't cooperate. He had to calm them. He had to breathe. Was he breathing? A ridiculous question. Of course he was breathing, and yet his chest was so tight, his eyes burned, his mind was fuzzy. All symptoms of a lack of oxygen. He could feel the too cold air entering his mouth and yet he was sure the oxygen was not reaching his lungs. Perhaps he was suffering some kind of anaphylactic reaction. What was the last thing he ate? When was the last time he ate? Maybe he was spending too much time in his lab as Gerhardt...

He was going to start hyperventilating soon. What was causing this reaction? It wasn't like this was the first patient he had been unable to save. It wasn't the first dead body on his table in his laboratory. It was going to take days to get the blood off of everything. Perhaps Igor could take care of that, he always knew how to get everything cleaned, everything sparkling like new. In a few days all this blood, the torn clothes, the surgical implements, the body would be taken away. There would be no sign of anything having transpired. No traumatic event, no life slipped away before Victor had the chance to save him. To do what he had always done, to perform their familiar routine.

"This is all your fault."

"Your lordship Victor didn't..."

"Yes, father." He agreed with his father automatically. It was so ingrained in him to agree, to simply write off whatever his father was accusing him of that he didn't even think of what he was agreeing to anymore. There were too many people in the lab. His father, Igor, four knights, and what appeared to be a field medic. The medic had done an admirable job, had attempted to suture the wound, to stop the bleeding, to give the patient enough time. Enough time to get to Victor. Enough time for the Doctor to perform one more miracle. But it simply hadn't been enough. The patient had bled out three minutes before they had reached the entrance to the family estate. By the time Victor had gotten to the patient he had been dead for 7 minutes and 43 seconds. There was barely enough blood left in the body to keep a humming-bird alive. There was nothing even Victor could have done to save him. Perhaps if he had been there when the incident had occurred.

He wasn't entirely sure what had happened. He probably would never know the whole story. He was sure it was stupidly heroic whatever it had been. The patient never listened to him, he was always telling the patient to be more careful, that there were other knights, he didn't always have to be at the front of the line, he didn't always have to be so damned brave 'That would be like saying you don't always have to be so smart dear brother.' Oh God. What had he done? Why hadn't he been able to save him? His father was right. They never agreed on anything, but on this, on this they were in complete agreement. This was Victor's fault.

He felt himself being slammed into a wall. It took a moment for his brain to recognize the face of his father.

"Why didn't you save him? How could you just let him die?"

The knights moved to pull his father away. It took all four of them. His father was truly enraged. Victor diagnosed the signs of grief, the disbelief, the anger. The betrayal.

"Unhand me! Get out of my house! All off you, out!" The knights seemed unsure, perhaps they were wary of leaving their fallen comrade in such unstable hands. Victor would assuage their fears. He would take care of his brother.

"Best do as he says gentleman. Have no fear, I will make sure Gerhardt is properly seen to." Still they did not move. Their loyalty to his brother must be very strong. Perhaps he saved their lives, he probably did. They had not stepped away from his father. What did they think he would do? Father would never hurt Gerhardt in any way, regardless of his mental state. His father was a very influential man. Those men were risking their jobs, even incarceration, by not following his demands. They still stood between Victor and his father, they weren't even standing near Gerhardt. Victor couldn't understand their actions.

"Please gentlemen, my brother will be well cared for." The knights finally looked towards Victor, the anger in their eyes was directed solely at his father. Now Victor was confused. His father was grieving. He had done nothing wrong. He wasn't the one who had failed Gerhardt. Who had let their little brother die.

"Are you certain Doctor? We can stay if you need it." Why would he require their presence? It's not like they were going to help him clean.

"Of course, there is nothing more that can be done for...There is no need for you to waste any of your time here. I'm sure you have posts to return to." Why couldn't Victor say Gerhardt's name? It was just a word, it didn't change the fact that his brother was lying cold on his table. God were his hands still shaking? Perhaps he was having some kind of reaction. He should ask Igor to find something to calm him down. The lead knight placed a hand on Victor's shoulder. He must have noticed his weakness. Victor probably looked like quite the coward when compared to Gerhardt. He couldn't even say his name.

"Your brother, he spoke very highly of you. And he...he meant a great deal to all of us. If there is anything that we can do, please. We do anything for our families."

"He...he would have been honored by your loyalty to him."

Victor's eyes were focused on his brother's body, so he missed the look of pity in the knight's eyes. He missed the unspoken glance, the oath that passed between the knights. Gerhardt had told them about his parents, about his fiance, but there was no doubt that it was his brother that held the highest place in his heart. Gerhardt had been their family, so even though he didn't know it Victor Frankenstein was now a part of that family. Gerhardt had never doubted his brother's love or loyalty, and neither would they. They would honor their fallen brother by protecting the person he had loved the most. Victor missed it all, he wouldn't have understood the looks anyway. Unspoken communication was something he could only really accomplish with Gerhardt. His father, on the other hand, saw it all. He glared defiantly at the soldiers.

"Get out of my house, so that my family can grieve in peace." The knights offered Victor a solemn goodbye. Victor barely registered their leaving. He saw one of the knights whisper something to his father. They both appeared very angry by whatever it was. Victor could not hear what was said so he wrote the interaction off as two grieving men mad at the situation they found themselves in. Soon it was just the three of them. Igor must have left the first time his father had told everyone to leave. He had hoped to speak to the medic, to determine the exact nature of the patients injuries. There were so many. Victor lightly touched the patient's arm. These wounds would have left so many scars.

"All your work, all your training, and still you were useless." Victor began to categorize the wounds.

"You couldn't save him when he actually needed you." Several stab wounds to the upper abdomen. A large gash across the neck with a serrated blade.

"You were always so sure of your skill, that science could overcome even the darkest of magic. Where is your unyielding faith in science now? Now that it has failed you. Now that it has failed him." Superficial wounds to the arms and hands, most appear to be defensive. The nature of the wounds indicate a violent death by several assailants. Death was not instantaneous, consciousness was likely maintained throughout the attack. His father appeared to be losing steam. Victor sincerely doubted he was talking to him anymore.

"You...you were..my beautiful boy. What have they done to you? You swore to me you would come back from this latest folly. You were supposed to come back."

That was true. Gerhardt always promised to come back, often with a smile on his lips. Victor had assumed he would come back this time as he always did, as he was always supposed to. The medic didn't have the skills to keep Gerhardt alive long enough to...The wounds weren't that bad. A few sutures, nothing internal seemed to be severely damaged. Those that were could have been replaced. Could still be replaced. Aside from the lack of blood, Gerhardt's body was in remarkably good condition. If the correct blood could be reintroduced, if his brain could be made to created new electric signals... Maybe the use of electricity could restart the process. He would have to build something that could harness such power. It could be done. He could do it.

"I can bring him back."

His father looked at Victor, derision marred his aristocratic features.

"You think your pathetic attempts to..."

"I can bring him back."

Victor stared at his father. He could do this. This was no passing thought, no silly comment from the bereaved. This was a statement of fact, an all-consuming obsessive truth. He would bring his brother back. He would do nothing else. No other thoughts would consume him, no other experiments would draw away his attention. He would allow nothing else to enter his mind. There was, and would only ever be this thought. He could bring him back. His father lightly touched Gerhardt's head. His voice was like a whispered prayer.

"I don't care what you have to do. I don't care the cost or what happens to those who get in your way. You will bring him back." One hundred percent agreement, twice in one day. Gerhardt would have called it a miracle, or a sign of the apocalypse. He will have to tell him about it. Victor was sure Gerhardt would find the humor in the situation. The only thing they could ever agree on was Gerhardt's death. Yes, Gerhardt will laugh about this one day, he would call them fools. Victor would make sure of it.

Nothing would ever make Victor stray from this path. Nothing would ever be more important to him. Gerhardt would live again. Victor believed it with every fiber of his being.

He had to.

Chapter 7

Note to self, mass quantities of alcohol are not conducive to waking up early. No running this morning then. Victor thought he would be lucky if he made it into work on time, let alone coherent and properly dressed. No one would notice if his shoes didn't match right? He should really get out of bed, the alarm clock was still blaring. God he didn't even have the energy or the coordination to turn it off. It would turn of on its own, hopefully. Victor raised his hand to rub the grit out of his eyes. What was he thinking? He usually avoided alcohol for this very reason. Dr. Whale had really done a number on his impulse control. Victor was blaming this lapse in judgement squarely on his shoulders.

Victor realized how strange those thoughts were. Aside from everyone in this town, the only people who thought like that were the mentally insane. Maybe he was insane. Maybe he was actually just Dr. Whale and he was having a severe mental break. He would prefer that scenario if it meant he didn't have to deal with this hangover.

Ok, he could do this. Just focus on...was the alarm getting louder? No. Doorbell. He really wasn't in the mood for visitors.

"Open up Whale. I know you're in there." He wondered what the illustrious Sheriff Swan wanted with him at...he tried to get the numbers on the alarm clock to come into focus...9:17 am. Huh. So zero chance of him making it into work then. It took what he considered a superhuman effort, but he managed to push himself out of bed. He made it to the door having only run into one wall, an impressive feat all things considered.

"Sheriff Swan." He had meant to say something witty about her banging on his door just to see him with no shirt on, but he only managed her name before the sunlight hit his eyes. It was exceptionally bright today. Forcing him to close his mouth for fear of ruining her red leather jacket.

"You look terrible."

"One cannot choose their facial features. Rather rude of you to mention it."

"Did you just speak with an accent? Do you have an accent?"

Did he? He must have. He had gotten so used to suppressing it. It had been Jefferson's idea during one of their little excursions. 'How are we supposed to blend in if every time you open your mouth the locals know we aren't from around here. Get rid of it Vic.' Jefferson was so demanding. Victor had agreed with him though. It was easier if no one knew where he was from. Speaking of Jefferson, Victor wondered where he was. He couldn't remember seeing him during or after the curse. Of course they hadn't seen each other years prior to the curse either. Jefferson had his daughter and so his trips had become less and less frequent. Victor understood, family was the most important thing. Maybe he should see if he was around somewhere. Jefferson had been one of the few, well maybe friend was too strong a word, familiar acquaintances Victor had in the years after his brother's death. He...it appeared Ms. Swan was waiting for a response. Focus your mind Victor.

"Was there something you needed, Emma?" Hopefully his blatant avoidance of the question would cause her to drop it.

"Mhmm. We will get back to that accent thing by the way. I heard about what you did yesterday and..."

"I did nothing, your father was the one responsible for your miraculous recovery."

"I...look, can I come in?"

"Worried people might wonder what you are doing on my doorstep so early in the morning with me only in my pajama pants?"

"Please, like you have a chance with me."

"My good looks, intelligence, and general charm turn you off then?"

"You slept with my mother. Deal breaker."

"So if I hadn't slept with her, I would have had a chance?"

"Just let me in."

Victor stepped aside. The banter was fun, but seriously the sun was way too bright. He led her into the kitchen.

"Tea?"

"No thanks. I don't accept tea from people I barely know anymore." Victor started the kettle, this was a special blend he had created specifically for hangovers.

"Look I came over because I wanted to thank you."

"I already said..."

"Yea I know. But, the whole magic and all that is still pretty new to me. And I, I heard some of what you said to David and Ruby and I'm glad I'm not the only one here who doesn't think magic is the end all be all of everything. Someone else who thinks there are some pretty crappy things magic has brought down on us. I was hoping I could stop by the hospital later and you could, I don't know, do a follow up. Make sure the necklace didn't screw up my pancreas or something when it was healing me."

Victor removed the steaming kettle and poured his tea. She stared at him impatiently. She was asking his professional advice. Even with magic and wands and potions all around her she still wanted the advice of a real medical doctor. A scientific opinion. There was only one thing he could say.

"So you want me to check you out?" If the exaggerated eye roll was any indication, she had picked up on his innuendo.

"You really can't help yourself can you? Who were you in the Enchanted Forest? Casanova? No, wait I got it. Bambi."

Victor actually did a spit take. He had though those only happened in cheesy movies and 90's sitcoms. But the tea all over his counter was proof. He might have even choked a little. Bambi...

"Really? Bambi? Is that even possible?"

"I heard some of the people in town are Cinderella's mice." She was smirking and yet her eyes were serious. Animal to human transmorphtation. Interesting. And he thought he was having issues with his personalities. He wondered if they could choose to regain their animal forms when they returned home or if they would want to stay human.

"Tell you what. Pour out that tea and I'll buy you a greasy hangover cure at Granny's." Victor considered her offer. It would require going outside, but the idea of bacon did sound incredibly enticing.

"Come on I can..." Victor raised his hand to forestall any further comments.

"You had me at greasy. Let me go put on some clothes." Victor made a quick call to the hospital, then threw on what he hoped was a clean shirt and his running shoes. If he made it to the hospital later he had an extra pair of scrubs there. They left his condo and headed in the general direction of Granny's. Victor had hoped for some silence to soothe his pounding head but he got the distinct impression Emma had more she wished to say.

"Henry trusts you."

"I'm sorry?"

"Henry."

"I know who Henry is, I've treated him since he was a baby. I'm just far too hung over to follow abrupt switches in conversation." Henry was actually the only patient he had treated from infancy. What a strange thing to have never noticed. That Henry was changing, growing up, but none of his other patients ever did.

"We hadn't spoken in five minutes. I would hardly call that an abrupt change." True he supposed. Still.

"What sparked this proclamation?"

"Henry's been dealing with some stuff recently. Stuff no kid should have to."

"Seems to be the story of that boy's life." Henry had already endured more than most. Victor had no doubts he would persevere through this as well.

"I...I know. But he was withdrawing. He stopped talking to me, to anyone really. Then he had his episode and you diagnosed him with diabetes. Suddenly it's like he's Henry again. All 'good will triumph and heroes always win' and all that. I know you talked him."

"Henry is a remarkable young man."

"Don't I know it. My point is. I'm not stupid. Maybe Henry has diabetes, maybe he doesn't. All I know is that, whenever he has those 'insulin' shots in his grip he feels more in control. Safer. So what I'm trying to say is, whether you turn out to be Bambi or the hunter that killed his mom, Henry trusts you. That means I trust you."

They walked in silence a few more minutes.

"You know if you were going to make some big revelation about your identity, now would be a pretty good time to do it."

"It did seem like an opportune moment."

"Don't think I've forgotten about that accent."

"Tragic."

"What?"

"The amulet appears to have affected your hearing. You will probably require a hearing aid. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure you will be able to lead a normal life."

Emma glared at him as he open the door to Granny's for her. He was being a gentleman, no need for such a look.

"Oh yea right. So is it a clue to who you are? You're just being mysterious on purpose because you think it attracts the ladies."

"It does. It got you to go out with me."

"We are not going out. I offered you breakfast because..."

"Because you were so intrigued by my mysterious nature. Yes I know. It's a curse."

They entered the restaurant still arguing. It was empty, save Ruby, Granny and one customer. Victor found he rather enjoyed the playful banter. It had been so difficult for him to be at ease around anyone, especially women, in his realm. The women here were much different from the ones he was used to. That fact that there was no chance of intimate relationship between Emma and himself was actually a kind of relief. It made things simpler. Not to mention he could only imagine how David would react to Victor having slept with both his wife and daughter. The Dr. Whale part of him was immensely entertained by this thought.

"Whoa, who is the hottie chatting up Ruby?" Victor missed said attractive man, as he had just turned and headed towards the bathroom. Ruby walked towards them and brought them some menus. Was that a blush on her cheeks?

"Who was the cute guy Ruby?" Definitely a blush now.

"Said his name was Abe. He said he was just passing through town but might stay a little longer. I guess people can come and go if they aren't from here. What can I get you two?" If Ruby found the sight of the two of them together unusual, she didn't mention it. He wondered how long this goodwill he had somehow developed would last. Perhaps she was just being polite. Emma was the legendary saviour to these people after all. It wouldn't do to be rude to her.

"Bring us a lot of bacon and two sausage biscuits with gravy."

"You got it."

"Ordering for both of us, how progressive."

"You wanted grease, I got us grease."

"Very true."

The silence was amicable. Victor had to know such moments of contentment were not meant to last. Ruby's mystery man returned from the bathroom.

"If that's the kind of people who are going to come here now, I won't complain. He seems to have a thing for Ruby." Victor turned slightly in his chair. He was simply curious as to what type of person could garner Ruby's attention. It was purely out of curiosity, there was no other reason. Emma was talking about him, social convention dictated that he look at what she was looking at so that he might better interact. It was...No. It was impossible. Regina would not have been so foolish as to bring him here.

"I mean she..."

"Do you have your gun?"

"Wow, jealousy does not suit you. If you like Ruby you should..."

"Do you have your gun?" Emma was a clever girl, she picked up on his tone right away.

"Yes. Am I going to need it?"

"Hopefully not. If I can talk him down...Do not underestimate him." Victor slowly rose from his seat. The man hadn't spotted Victor. He was too focused on Ruby. Victor cursed under his breath. Of course he would try for Ruby. A thought occurred to him.

"Emma, that whole trust thing you said earlier."

"Yea?"

"Did you mean it?"

"I'm two seconds from pulling my gun on Ruby's new boyfriend just because you said so. What do you think?"

"He might...say things about me. Things that might cause you to question..." The man began to lead Ruby towards the door. She was going to leave with him. He had no choice. Victor walked up to the duo.

"Dr. Whale. Granny's going to cover my shift so..."

"Abraham." His back was still turned but Victor could tell from the way the muscles in his neck tensed that Abraham knew exactly who was behind him.

"Victor. What a surprise." Abraham turned. He was slightly older, so some time had passed in their realm, but there was no mistaking him. "We all thought you were dead. What a relief." Victor heard the ice in Abraham's words. Every syllable was a threat. Ruby moved between them.

"Your name is Victor? Wait, how do you two know each other?"

"So they don't know who you are Victor? They don't know what you've done?"

"How did you get here Abraham?" Victor moved to put Ruby behind him.

"I have my secrets as you, apparently, have yours. Tell you what, I won't say anything about your indiscretions and you will leave me to complete my work. There is much that needs to be done here." Abraham unconsciously moved his left arm. Victor hadn't forgotten about the blade Abraham kept up his sleeve. He was intimately familiar with it.

"Don't do this Abraham."

"That plea didn't keep me from putting down that abomination you called a sibling, what makes you think it will work now?" Every impulse was telling Victor to kill the man in front of him. To strangle him until his eyes popped out of his head. Victor began to list the ways he knew how to kill a human in the most painful way possible. Emma must have caught on to Victor's murderous intent.

"Look why don't we take this to the jail."

"Have I done something illegal?"

"You're creeping me out, in this town that is cause for incarceration. So let's move it." She had actually pulled her pistol. Abraham started laughing.

"You would jail me and let filthy monsters like them run free amongst the population? Infecting the good people with their unnatural ways."

"Ok yea, I'm definitely arresting you."

Victor pushed Ruby away as Abraham activated his hidden blade. Victor was prepared for a dogfight. He knew how dirty Abraham fought, he wasn't above using innocent people as shields. Victor tried to ignore the pounding in his head and the ache and uncoordination of his limbs. Maybe if he threw up on Abraham that would distract him. All of Victor's preparations were unnecessary however, as before Abraham had a chance to strike, Granny knocked him in the back of the head with a shovel. Victor had stopped questioning where she got these things when she had shown up at a town meeting with a crossbow. Abraham dropped to the ground. Victor would have to lead with the knock to the head next time.

"I apologize for pushing you." Victor offered Ruby his hand.

"No problem. Who is that guy?" Emma and Granny were checking the unconscious form on the ground.

"Good lord, and I thought I had a lot of weapons." They had opened Abraham's coat to revel dozens of knives, guns and all manner of violent implement.

"Seriously Whale, who he is? What does he need all this for?"

"It's for his job. He..." he glanced apologetically to Ruby, "he hunts and kills creatures, monsters for a living."

"And here I thought he was attracted to my personality." At least Ruby had a sense of humor about all this. Considering the moment he had gotten her alone, Abraham would have gutted her and taken a part of her as a trophy. Probably not the first time this had happened to her. Victor hesitated to tell them more. Revealing Abraham's identity would no doubt lead to the revelation of his. Although, Henry had taken it rather well and Emma said she trusted him. Well technically she trusted Henry's opinion of him. Still, it wouldn't be a secret forever. Might as well get it out of the way.

"His name is Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. We attended medical school together."

"Van Helsing? Like Dracula, Van Helsing? Since when is Dracula a fairy tale?"

"We aren't from the same realm as the rest of you." Emma was glaring at him.

"You're not Dracula are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"What? It makes sense. The affinity for women, Dracula always had women around."

"A large misinterpretation of his nature actually, Vlad only..."

"Vlad? Vlad? As in you are on a first name basis with Dracula?"

"Well I wouldn't call us friends, the man is truly deranged."

"I thought Van Helsing was the good guy?"

"My realm, the definitions of good and evil are more...blurred than they are in the Enchanted Forest or here. The two sides tend to overlap quite frequently."

"Look my parents are Snow White and Prince Charming, Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, my step-grandmother is the Evil Queen and I have flirted with the Mad Hatter, the Huntsman and Captain Hook. Nothing is going to shock me at this point."

"So you have a thing for bad boys then?"

"Whale..."

"Victor Frankenstein." Victor waited for the condemnation. It was one thing for a 12-year-old to accept you. Henry couldn't possibly understand the implications of what his name entailed. Emma looked almost...relieved.

"That makes sense. You've definitely got the god complex down pat."

"I think I've just been insulted." Ruby patted his arm.

"You most definitely have."

Granny interjected.

"Well this body isn't going to drag itself over to the jail. Want to give me a hand doctor?" Victor bent down and pulled Abraham into a fireman's carry.

"You are all taking this remarkably well."

"I'm guessing the 45 minutes of the old Boris Karloff movie I've seen wasn't exactly factual. I haven't judged anyone else here by who they were supposed to be, I don't intend to start with you." They took Abraham to the cell without any further incident. Victor began to check Abraham's vitals. His pupils were reacting normally. He was going to have a hell of a headache when he woke up though.

"Why would Regina bring him here?"

"She didn't. It was Cora." Once again, Victor wished he was more included in the goings-on of the town.

"Cora is bringing people here?"

"Not exactly. See there's this prophecy that a darkness will be unleashed and destroy the entire town."

"It's always a prophecy with you people isn't it?"

"Anyway, Cora is trying to speed up the process to unleash this so-called darkness." Apparently they were unaware of Henry's role in all this. Victor kept his silence and allowed Emma to continue. He had made a promise to Henry, he would not break it.

"So she's unleashing some pretty nasty spells and Regina said that the consequences of these spells could cause rifts in the 'fabric between worlds', as she called it."

Jefferson had once told him about the consequences of such rifts. They could start small, allowing nothing more than an insect to pass through. But eventually they would grow, causing the realms to bleed over into one another. Abraham had probably just walked right through. The process to close such a rift was often just as destructive as the rift itself. Fantastic.

"I assume you all have a plan to fix this right?"

The sideways glance between Emma and Ruby was less than comforting.

"Gold has a few ideas." Ruby seemed more than a little uncertain, Emma on the other hand was downright hostile.

"Gold has a terrible idea. He is probably only helping us so he can fulfill some grand scheme. His plan involves everyone going back to the Enchanted Forest. Or so he claims. He has been a little sketchy on the details."

"Send everyone home? How would that even be possible? I thought the curse kept us all here indefinitely."

"Yea his plan is to let this darkness be unleashed so that it would destroy the town and thereby break the curse."

"Wouldn't that kill everyone?"

"Like I said, it's not a great plan. But he says he knows a way to send everyone back as the curse is being broken by this new threat. We don't really have a lot of other ideas right now."

Victor considered this. He wasn't really the one to ask about such things, magic was a subject he didn't quite understand. Not yet anyway. He had been working on some experiments recently that he hoped would help him better pin down the exact nature of certain magical elements. What he needed was someone a bit more experienced in the subject of inter-realm travel.

"What does Jefferson say about this plan?" Silence. "You have consulted with Jefferson haven't you? The Mad Hatter?"

"We have."

"And?"

Abraham moaned from his position on the cot. Emma moved to lock the cell door. Ruby headed towards the exit.

"I should probably go tell David and Gold that the rift is letting people through now." She glanced towards Victor. Victor got the feeling she wanted to say something. She landed on a small smile and then headed out.

"Look, Whale."

"You can call me Victor if you like Emma."

"Victor then. About this rift..."

"I too am not an idiot Ms. Swan. I know that just because Abraham was able to walk from our realm to this one does not mean I would be so lucky if I attempted to do the same thing. I have no intention of jumping into the unknown simply in the off-chance that it might lead me home."

"Ok. Good. That's settled then." Victor felt the sudden urge to throw up. He was so close. Abraham was right there, he would be able to answer any questions Victor had about his brother. Victor wondered if he could get through an interrogation with Abraham without attempting to kill the man.

"Maybe you should go." Victor didn't even notice that Emma had come to stand beside him.

"Why?"

"Because you look about two seconds from ripping that guy's heart out." She seemed hesitant. It was a look that did not suit her. "Did he really kill your brother?"

"Only the second time." He could only imagine the kinds of questions she wanted to ask. "You're probably right. I should go. Good day Ms. Swan."

"Bye..."

Victor left the Sheriff's office. He should get something to eat, or at least shower. He was sure he still looked like a hung over mess. First things first then. Eat. Shower. Put on clean clothes.

Then go find Jefferson.

Chapter 8

"It's not going to work is it?"

"Good to see you again too Victor, please come in." Victor had already made his way into Jefferson's home. He had wondered, when he was Dr. Whale, who owned such a large house just outside of the main area of town. Even though he had been curious, he had never actually looked to see who lived here. Another oddity of the curse he supposed.

"Their plan. The one to save everyone. It isn't going to work is it?" Victor had thought about what Emma and Ruby had said, more-so how they had said it. While they had seemed hostile towards Gold's plan, they had also seemed to be accepting the fact that it was their only option. Resigned to it really.

"Nope. But I told them that already." Of course. They would have asked Jefferson's opinion on Gold's plan, and he would have told them. But for some reason they ignored it.

"Why then..."

"Are they going ahead with Gold's ridiculous plan? Because they don't think they have any other choice. Or there are no other choices they are willing to consider."

"Choices men like you and I might be willing to consider?"

"You and I are nothing alike, you were always such a stick in the mud Vic. Never wanted to have any fun. Although that all changed here, didn't it." Jefferson's suggestive looks were somewhat amusing. He supposed he wasn't as serious as he used to be, but then again.

"You aren't nearly as careless as I remember you to be Jefferson."

"Yea, well. That changed, even before all this." Jefferson's encompassing hand motions were unnecessary, Victor knew exactly what he meant.

"So. What can be done then? And why didn't they listen to you?" Jefferson looked almost abashed, like a child with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I may have...let's just say that subtlety and political correctness were never my strong suits. Plus I may have made some bad impressions on our Sheriffs, prior to this. And you know how Gold is, all reasonable and calm. The meeting might have devolved into name calling at one point, I can't be sure. It was really their fault for bringing Regina with them. I mean seriously, how can anyone know which side is good and which is bad if they are letting those two get away with everything they've done? I really don't know who is worse her or her mother." Victor watched as Jefferson's pacing increased with the tempo of his voice. Bringing Regina to see Jefferson, what were they thinking? Probably thought it would be good to have all the magical people together so they can come up with the best plan. They really were just fumbling around in the dark weren't they?

"Why is it a terrible plan?" Best to get Jefferson back on point. He didn't have the time to listen to Jefferson rant about Regina all night.

"Ok so basically there is already a rift tearing at the seams of this realm and one other. Stuff is going to start coming through if it hasn't already. If the rift isn't closed...Boom! Kablamo! Both realms will collapse into each other. Mass death and destruction will abound. No take backs, no do overs, just dead dead dead."

"So Goldie's plan is basically about creating another rift. One between here and the Enchanted Forest, stabilizing it for a few minutes so everyone can sneak through and then closing it behind them on the other side. He plans to strengthen the wards around town that kept everyone out. That way the rifts and the darkness will destroy the town but won't go any farther. Sounds reasonable enough right? Except that it is the worst plan of all time. Rifts are some of the most unstable, and uncontrollable forces out there. They are like black holes. Opening a second one could have consequences that our simple little human minds can't even begin to imagine."

"Not to mention the fact that while the rifts are open, anything from the Enchanted Forest and this other realm can come here. These things are like constantly moving portals, impossible to know exactly where they will open up and how long they will stay. I'm not just talking about monsters and ogres either, I mean people. Families. Anyone unlucky enough to be walking in the general direction of the rift could be sucked through. And if they are here when the walls go up and this darkness or whatever comes calling, they will be destroyed with the town. But no one seems to care about that, as long as the people on this side get to go home."

"That doesn't sound like...Someone would have to stay behind and close the rift on this side, wouldn't they." Victor was trying to keep up with Jefferson's rapid speech and disjointed ideas. He had forgotten how difficult it was to keep up with him sometimes.

"Yea."

"I assume our Prince David or James or whatever his name is has already volunteered his services."

"He has."

"But?" Victor had once noticed that whenever Jefferson was nervous, regardless of how outwardly calm or cocky he appeared, he would play with the cuffs on his sleeves. He was going to rip a hole in them soon.

"It can't be him. I tried to explain it to them, but they wouldn't listen. In fact, I think by the end of it, Gold had convinced them that no one would have to stay behind. That somehow magic and love and family would be enough and that everyone would be fine. They are going to walk through the rift and think they are safe and it will just keep tearing at the fabric. It will follow them. The only way to close it on that side would be to have a force as destructive as this darkness destroy it on that side too. And we don't even know if this so-called darkness will be strong enough to destroy the one, let alone two, rifts! Piece by piece the new rift it will pull at the fabric until it destroys the Enchanted forest too."

"I see. So somehow we have to find a way to send everyone back without opening a new rift to the Enchanted Forest. And we have to do it before they go through with their ill-advised plan, or Cora destroys the town, or the existing rift destroys the town, or this new curse is unleashed."

"Trying to find a solution in the two seconds before we are both killed. Just like old times, huh Vic?" Jefferson had been an unusual traveling companion, not just because of his ability to travel between realms. His ability to shrug off threats, to keep his blinding optimism through everything had been refreshing. He had lost some of that over the years. They had all lost quite a bit really.

"What other ways are there to travel between realms? Ways that, perhaps, were never considered before because of the damage they could cause?" Jefferson seemed to consider the options carefully.

"There is one way. I've never done it, but...I might be possible. They won't like it though."

"You let me convince them. Can you do it?"

"You don't even know what I'm suggesting. It's insane, even for us. It is just as likely to kill everyone as save them."

"So about the same as the plan they have now then."

"It's about using magic and combining it with a powerful natural force. The amount of magic needed to realm jump would actually be minimal, but the natural force is where we run into the danger. Not to mention that we might not be able to contain it to just the town, and it will definitely destroy everything. The question is how do we create the natural force without facing the repercussions of harnessing such a large amount of magic in one small area. All magic has a price you know."

Jefferson had done a perfect imitation of Rumpelstiltskin on that last line. That had always bothered him...why did all magic have a price? Good, bad, or indifferent, regardless of what magic was used for it always came with a rather hefty price to pay. Was the universe so...oh.

"The four laws of thermodynamics. That's why all magic has a price."

"Not even going to pretend I know what you are babbling about over there Vic."

"The four laws of thermodynamics are about energy within closed systems. Energy within that system is never created nor destroyed. Therefore whenever magic uses energy for something, it pulls that energy from somewhere within that same system. This in turn causes the energy to be transformed from one form to another, leaving a vacuum in its place, not a true loss but a temporary one. The universe will rush to fill a vacuum, creating the unnatural and usually harmful repercussions associated with magic. It's the basic principle of entropy; energy must be applied to prevent chaos. It's all so simple if you look at it scientifically."

"I think you and I have a very different understanding of the word simple." Oh if only he had more time to test this theory. It could prove that magic is just another form of science, with its own rules that had to be obeyed. But they were running short now. Perhaps...perhaps another time.

"Could we use the existing rift or perhaps even the darkness itself? Pull from their already disruptive magic to create the force necessary to create this...portal you speak of?"

"Yea...Yea that might actually work. And it's not going to be so much a portal as a tornado." There was a beat of silence.

"You want me to convince them to abandon Gold's plan in favor of creating a tornado so that we can re-enact the first half of the Wizard of Oz?"

"That's a pretty good summary of events yea."

"Well alright then. Start collecting what you will need. I will go see how they react to this plan."

"Ok. Victor...about the existing rift..."

"One disaster at a time my friend." Victor knew what Jefferson was going to say. They both knew what needed to be done about the rift to his world. It needed to be closed. And Victor was beginning to understand what that would entail. His brother...One disaster at a time. They would torch that bridge when they got to it.

Victor left Jefferson's house and headed back towards town. He tried not to think about what he was going to say to these people. They had to listen to him. Why they continued to trust and listen to Gold after all this time was a mystery to him. Although, he supposed he had gone to Gold for help as well. But that had been out of necessity...Which is exactly what they were probably thinking too. God this was a mess. He sort of missed the days when it was just him looking for the solution to some medical problem, alone. He definitely wasn't cut out to be the hero. And he had absolutely no intention of becoming one. Too much stress involved. These sorts of things were better left to other, better men.

Victor saw Emma and Mary Margaret standing outside of the town hall. He parked his car and walked to meet them. He was a little nervous to see Emma running toward him.

"You have to come quickly. There's something wrong with Henry." Before he had a chance to speak he was being pulled in the direction of the town hall. There were people everywhere. Bags, luggage, even furniture adorned the yard surrounding the building. They were really getting this evacuation together fast. He wondered what had changed in the last two hours. Probably something terrible, he found he really didn't want to know.

Henry was at the front of room pushed against the farthest wall. David was several feet from him. He appeared to be talking to Henry quietly. But there was an urgency to his voice and his body language. The town hall was full of people, some he recognized, others he couldn't remember ever seeing before. There was a sense of trepidation about them all and something...darker. Something Victor was all too familiar with. He knew exactly what was on the minds of these people. They knew about Henry. About the prophesy.

"He just started to shake, and then this black...stuff started leaking out of his ears. But he won't let anyone go near him. He just keeps repeating that he needs his medicine. Cora destroyed it all. You have to make more." Ah. Well. This was going to either come back to bite him in the ass or...Victor couldn't see a second scenario.

"About that..."

"DR. WHALE! Hurry, I can't..." Henry's scream seemed to awaken the entire room. Victor saw the looks...he knew what was coming. He pulled Mary Margaret aside.

"You need to get all of these people out of here."

"They are..."

"I don't care if you trust them, or if they are strangers. If Henry can't get this under control quickly then all these people are going to see is a threat to their families. This prophesy about Henry, says he destroys the town right? And they all know about that right?" Victor didn't wait for Mary Margaret's confirmation. "So the last thing you need is for one of them to go after Henry. You like to think they wouldn't because he is just a kid, but they will. You need to get them out of here before they turn against you. Trust me, I'm kind of an expert on angry mobs." Mary Margaret looked around at the townspeople, she seemed to see the same thing in their eyes. He left her to clear out all of the riff-raff. Time to face the music.

"Henry..."

"Dr. Whale! It's all gone, I don't know how she knew about it but she did and now its all gone and I can't control it and I don't want to be bad, that's not what I choose, I'm trying to stop it but I can't without my medicine, it was the only think keeping it down..."

"Henry. Listen to me, you have to breathe. Alright. Can you do that for me?"

"I don't know..." Victor smiled.

"Well I do, Henry. Come on now, just take a breath."

"But the medicine and..."

"We will get to the medicine Henry. But the black goo coming out of your ears is a new symptom. Will you let me take a look?"

"I don't want to hurt you..."

David grabbed Whales arm as he started to move towards Henry. David whispered, low so that Henry couldn't hear.

"He accidentally knocked Blue through a window earlier. Be careful." David was trying to protect him. He really did seem like a good enough fellow. Still.

"I'm probably safer around Henry than I am around you." Victor let out a cocky smile and continued for Henry. "Now then, let's take a look shall we?"

"I don't..."

"You won't hurt me Henry. We both know that. I'm sure Blue just startled you or did some unnecessary magic near you. Now then." Victor made a show of looking into Henry's ears. He checked Henry's pulse, a little elevated. That was to be expected.

"I can't control it. Please I need more medicine."

"Henry, you don't need the medication."

"Yes I do! A couple times I have felt the darkness and I would take a shot and it would go away. They kept me in control."

"You kept yourself in control Henry. The shots were a placebo. Sugar water."

"But...no, that's not true."

"Henry. There was no way for me to find a solution to your particular issue in the time you wanted. So I gave you a placebo, knowing that the illusion of control would actually help you maintain control. It is a legitimate scientific fact that those given placebos actually do better because they think that the medicine is helping them. I knew that whatever darkness you had inside you, you could control it Henry. You just needed a little...safety net. But you don't need it anymore. Remember what we talked about Henry. If you don't want to go evil, then you won't. Fairly certain we had a deal about that."

"You lied to me." Victor felt slightly less confident that Henry wouldn't throw him through a window as well.

"Yes I did."

"But you said..."

"You want the truth Henry? I'm the adult. You are a child. And when it comes to taking care of those younger than you, more often than not, you have to be the bad guy. So if you want to hate me for the rest of your life Henry, I am more than comfortable with that. As long as the rest of your life is much, much longer. I lied to you Henry, and should the need arise, I will lie to you again. I told you Henry, I'm not a hero. I'm simply not cut out for all that honesty nonsense. I do whatever is necessary." He couldn't remember how many times Gerhardt had told him he hated him when they were growing up. Their father had let Gerhardt do whatever he wanted, and their mother had died when they were both very young. This had forced Victor to become the responsible one, the one that said no. That did whatever it took.

He wondered briefly if David intended to hit him again for all this. Technically he didn't just lie to Henry, but to his entire family as well. He knew the risks of giving Henry a placebo. Should this darkness be more than the boy could handle, it could have killed everyone in the town. Risking the lives of everyone, to save one person.

"So all this time...it's just been me controlling it?"

"Yes. I don't put my life into the hands of the weak Henry. I knew you would be able to handle it." He had hoped Henry would be able to handle it at least.

"But the prophesy..."

"Yes yes the prophesy says you destroy the town and everyone in it. But does it say how many people are in the town when you destroy it? In fact, Jefferson and I were just discussing a way to get everyone home and seal the rift between realms using your particular magical ability." Again technically true. They had discussed using the energy from the rift and the darkness, but if Henry could actually control and focus the energy inside of him...

"Use my darkness to...save people?"

"Fate may put us on a certain path my young friend, but we choose how and when we walk it. Or whether we want to veer off from it completely and jump off a cliff instead. It's your life Henry. What happens next is entirely up to you." Victor hoped this speech was as convincing as he needed it to be. Motivational speeches were supposed to be someone else's job, why hadn't David stepped in with some spiel about family and love and all that?

Victor felt several people walk up behind him.

"He's right Henry." Really? That was it? David really needed to work on his timing. If Victor was going to be the only one keeping people on the straight and narrow, this town wasn't going to last much longer. Well, technically it wasn't going to last much longer anyway but still, his point remained valid.

Henry did seem more relaxed. Then slowly he began to smile up at them all. That seemed to be the call for everyone to rush in for a group hug. Victor tactfully side-stepped the ensuing melee. He didn't do group hugs. Unless there were a lot less clothes involved.

After a few moments of tears and laughter the group on the floor seemed to remember that they were still in the middle of a crisis. Emma pulled away from the group. Victor wondered if she intended to shoot him, she was smiling but that could be to lure him into a false sense of security.

"So, what's this about a plan that doesn't suck?" Victor felt a small sense of relief. Perhaps selling the whole 'we want to have everyone jump into a tornado' idea might not be so difficult.

 

Chapter 9

It hadn't been as difficult to convince them about the whole tossing everyone into a tornado thing as he thought it would be. As it probably should have been, actually. Given time to think on it he probably would have been terrified at how easily they accepted this plan. But that was for another time. Right now he needed to finish helping move the medical supplies from the hospital to the evacuation point. From Emma and Mary Margaret's description, the Enchanted Forest was in no condition to support the sudden influx of people, let alone any injuries that might be incurred during the journey. He had almost finished packing when Jefferson appeared.

"That's a lot of bandages."

"You never know what can happen when you jump into a tornado. I thought it would be prudent to be prepared."

"We need to talk."

He had hoped to avoid this. Perhaps he still could. He was a bit of a sweet talker now.

"Grab those vials for me. We need to get all of this out to the evacuation point before something new and terrible comes and destroys us. I know, I know we need to talk, and we will, but this takes precedence. Be quick about it." Ok so maybe it wasn't so much talking as a strategic retreat but he really did need to get this packed up and talking to Jefferson would just slow him down. He couldn't think about it right now if he was going to get this done in time.

He wasn't technically avoiding Jefferson, the man was only three steps behind him. So he might have dropped the supplies a little harder than necessary, and sort of slowly sprinted towards Emma and Ruby. That was just because the situation demanded haste. The rift was getting larger, the last thing they needed was more creatures from his realm bleeding through. Jefferson would just have to wait.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yea, does he have everything ready?" Of course it was going to be difficult to completely avoid Jefferson since he was the main component in this insane plan. But he wouldn't bring up what they had to discuss in front of anyone. Jefferson sort of ambled up to their small group.

"I do, the timing is going to have to be precise. Henry is going to have to...unleash?...Release?...Unleash? Irrelevant. The darkness needs to be brought out to play just before we open this bad boy up. We are going to be tossing people in as the darkness is eating the town so we just need to make sure we are quicker than it is. We will be quicker won't we?"

Victor wanted to ask Jefferson about Grace. He was sure she would be in one of the first groups to go, but Jefferson would most likely stay until the last. If anything were to go wrong with the portal or the rift, Jefferson would be the one to spot it. He wondered how Grace was taking being separated from her father, even if it was for just a short time. But that would have meant engaging Jefferson in conversation, and that man could steer a conversation farther away from it's starting point better than anyone Victor had ever met. So he held his tongue while Emma explained the evacuation procedure.

"We will be faster. We already have everyone in town assigned to groups. Just in case something were to happen, every group is going to be tied to one another with rope..."

"Kinky."

"Seriously? Anyway, that way in case something were to happen at least no one would be sent somewhere else alone. We have put most people together in groups with their friends and family." Victor absently wondered what group he had been put in. Was there a group for those that had no friends or family here to cling to? Not that it really mattered of course.

"What about those that are...less than willing to go?"

"What you mean like Cora and Hook? If it were up to me they would just stay here and be ripped to pieces like the..."

"What Emma is trying to say is that the door is open, if they don't want to come with us then they can stay behind and take their chances. We let them know their options."

"That is a terrible idea. Suppose they all just come here now and try to stop you from leaving? What were you thinking?" Victor couldn't believe these people sometimes. He had thought that Ruby had some sense. Out of all of the so-called fairy tale people here, she seemed to be the biggest realist. Aside from Emma of course. And they just offered the people who were causing this mess a ride home? In his realm, they would have been thrown into the Black Lagoon and ripped to pieces by the creatures that lived there. His people weren't big on second chances.

He was sure Emma was about to give some speech on right and wrong, he could see it in her eyes. Good vs Evil and all that nonsense. We don't kill...everyone deserves the chance at redemption...he was sure it would have been riveting. But Ruby had to go and be the clever one again.

"You?"

"I...Sorry?"

"You said 'stop you from leaving', not us or everyone, but you."

Jefferson started to open his mouth. Victor silenced him with a glare. He had a lot of work to get done, this sort of distraction was unnecessary. Thankfully, at that particular moment, the aforementioned bad guys decided to make their entrance.

Victor watched as Emma and Ruby headed towards Hook and Cora. Jefferson might have been growling. Probably best to get him as far away from her as possible.

"Jefferson...Jefferson! Go get ready. We have to start soon." Jefferson was so fixated on the scene in front of him, he barely registered Victor pushing him. Eventually his feet seemed to catch on to the forced movement and began to move of their own accord. Jefferson's eyes never left Cora. Victor could only imagine the conversation that was going on between the good guys and the bad guys. If anyone got out of this alive Victor would be highly impressed.

He headed towards Granny's. Henry was there, as was Gold. Gold hadn't been as receptive to the plan as the rest. Victor was sure the man's participation in all this had something to do with that cute young woman standing not two feet behind Gold. Whatever the reason, it was to their favor. Henry needed help releasing the darkness without actually hurting anyone. Apparently Gold wanted to help. What that man truly wanted with that boy Victor had yet to figure out. If Gold tried anything, Victor had a serum in his back pocket specifically designed for their resident wish granter.

"Everything almost ready in here?"

"Victor, we were just about to begin actually." Victor never liked the way Gold said his name. Something about it was, unsettling. Victor shrugged off his discomfort and looked at Henry. David was sitting nearby.

"Everything going ok out there?"

"Cora and Hook just showed up." David looked like he wanted to sprint from the room, guns blazing. More like sword unsheathed he supposed but really the man wasn't carrying a blade at the moment. "Emma and Ruby are handling it." It wasn't like David was going to leave Henry's side. He was the only one allowed with Henry during the process. Gold said David had the least amount of magic in him, didn't want unknown magics messing up everything. Regina had been asked to stay outside and help with the portal, Henry needed to be able to focus. He hoped Jefferson and Regina didn't kill each other before the town was able to escape.

"Ok Henry, just like we talked about." Gold could be almost soothing if he wanted to be. Again Victor wondered how much of this was due to the young woman. He should probably stop staring at her. Didn't want Gold to get the wrong impression.

Henry closed his eyes. Victor thought perhaps he watched too many movies. He was half expecting Henry's eyes to fly open, black smoke to come pouring out of his eyes and ears, the entire building to be torn to shreds. Apparently magic in real life was a lot less exciting. Henry seemed to shake a little, and then, very anti-climatically in Victor's opinion, he opened his eyes.

"Ok, I released it."

"Very good Henry."

Victor really hoped David asked a question about all this. He didn't want to be the one to have to say he had no idea what was going on.

"What the hell just happened?" Good man.

"Basically Henry has been keeping this darkness pushed down. It was never really inside of him, more like a mental connection to a separate creature. This mental connection meant Henry was feeling and thinking more and more like it. But it couldn't attack without Henry releasing it from their bond." Victor was more impressed with Henry the longer he knew him. The boy could have let the monster out months ago, but he kept it close so that no one else would get hurt. Gerhardt would have liked Henry.

"I...I can tell where it is now. It's just outside of the main town. It's going to destroy the woods and stuff first."

Gold mixed some potions together, there might have been a few animal bones involved. Victor couldn't be sure.

"How long do we have?" Victor supposed he would try to be a better man too if that girl spoke to him in that lovely accent all the time.

"Not much Dearie. We need to start evacuating. The spells to strengthen the wards to keep the destruction to just Storybrook are complete."

Victor took Henry's vitals as David picked him up. The boy seemed to be fine.

"I'm ok Dr. Whale. It didn't hurt or anything."

"I'll be the judge of that Henry."

They walked towards the groups gathering...well, that was definitely a tornado. Jefferson wasn't kidding. It was so strange to see it just sitting there in one spot. Regina must have been able to pull some heavy spell work. Emma was already herding people through. She stopped when she saw them coming.

"Things are moving pretty quick, Ruby and Mary Margaret went in first to scout out and make sure there was someone in charge when people started going through." So Ruby was already gone, pity. He had hoped to..."Whale, about Abraham..."

"I already talked to Jefferson about it. We are going to send him back through the rift. We have a plan." Technically, he was going to talk to Jefferson about it so it wasn't a complete lie. No reason for them to worry about it. He saw David was about to say something. Victor put up a hand. "He can't go through to the Enchanted Forest, I know him. I know what he is capable of. He can't be allowed to go there."

David seemed to begrudgingly accept this. Emma however...

"That's not...he said some things in the jail cell...about your brother..." Victor found he really didn't want to know. He had already assumed the worst.

"We can talk about this later. We need to focus on getting everyone through first."

Henry grabbed Victors arm as he was about to leave.

"You're with us."

"What? Henry there is no need for me to travel with you. You don't appear to be suffering any ill effects from the...whatever that was. I'm sure they can take care of you from here."

Henry was a good boy, he...

"Don't be such an idiot Whale. Henry's right, you're coming with us. But if you say one word when I am trying the rope around your wrist, you will be going through that portal with a black eye." She was serious. Victor looked at David, hoping to find some disgust in the man's eyes at letting Victor go through the portal with his family. The man looked amused. This...this was unexpected. And it would complicate things. He had to find a way to get them through without him.

"You all need to get through the portal now, I still have to take care of Abraham. Not to mention check on some other patients."

"We will wait." Damn it Henry.

"Emma, I still have things I have to do. Please. Go on ahead, I will be right behind you." Emma was looking at him strangely. Almost accusingly.

"You will be right behind us." She wanted to question him. He could see it. She had heard the lie in his words.

Jefferson reappeared from where ever he had been.

"I won't let the man out of my sight." Victor was glad that Jefferson had no loyalty to the Charming clan. They might have been able to coax the truth from him.

"Ok." Emma was still wary. "But if you aren't right behind us, and I mean right behind, we will just come back through and get you. And I will kick your ass for making me come back."

Victor wasn't sure what he had done to garner such attentions from these people. It was all very strange. It was probably just what heroes did. They couldn't leave anyone behind. They had been willing to risk everything to let Hook and Cora go through. So of course they would check on everyone.

"I understand." Victor waved goodbye to Henry, even David gave him a slight nod. Soon they were lost to him, somewhere amongst the mass of people. Emma hadn't been serious. There was no way any of them would risk coming back through for him. There was no guarantee that all this destructive magic wouldn't make travel between the realms impossible by any means.

Jefferson and Victor stood in silence for a few minutes, just watching the people disappear into the tornado. It was so strange to see. People walking hand in hand straight towards a tornado. Victor tried to see if he could see them being sucked up into the funnel.

"I brought you a present." Victor looked toward where Jefferson was pointing. Abraham was tied up, unconscious on the ground a few feet behind Victor's car. "I figured since you can't get too close to the rift, you can just put the car in drive and push him through. Regina said the rift would be widest behind the library. You should push him through there."

"Is he alive?"

"Yea, I just gave him some medicine I...acquired from the hospital earlier. How did you figure it out?"

"That someone would have to stay behind to watch and seal the rift and the portal? It wasn't hard to figure out. You had mentioned Charming would originally, I figured since we weren't going with Gold's plan..." Victor trailed off. He had known today would be his last. He didn't want to die, of course not. But sometimes a plan requires sacrifice. It wasn't noble, it was simply the reality of the situation. The portal had to be closed on this side or else the magic from the darkness and the rift could travel through and destroy the Enchanted Forest. It had to be sealed but still be functional, they needed the raw energy of the tornado to help wipe out the darkness. Really there was no other way. Any logical person would have seen that.

There were fewer people in town now. He thought he saw Emma and Henry looking towards him and Jefferson, but soon they were gone too.

"She's going to kick my ass when she realizes what you've done."

"That sounds like a problem. For you."

"Here. It's a packet of fairy dust and the words to need to speak to seal the portal."

Victor took the package from Jefferson. They spent a few moments repeating the foreign words, making sure Victor pronounced them correctly.

"Maybe we should try something else. I don't think you are saying these right. We could..."

"Jefferson. I've got it. We both know it."

Victor avoided looking at Jefferson. So they stood in silence, transfixed by the sight of so many people just disappearing. Soon, far too soon, they were alone.

"So, that's everyone then."

"Yes it is."

"You need help with..." Jefferson motioned towards Abraham's unconscious form.

"No, no. I can handle him. I just have to throw him at a rift. Shouldn't be a problem."

Jefferson was playing with that damn cuff of his again.

"Jefferson, this was the only course of action that made sense. If anyone from the Enchanted Forest attempted to stay behind to guard the rift, they might be killed. I know the kinds of things that can come from my realm so I would be the best prepared to deal with any unexpected visitors. The portal has to be sealed and the tornado contained. Magic may not be my forte but I can throw magic powder, sorry fairy dust, with the best of them. I have no one on the other side of that portal waiting for me so it makes sense that I be the one to stay behind."

"I'll come back for you..."

"Jefferson..."

"I mean it, I don't care how long it takes or how dangerous. Me and the others we won't..."

"Jefferson."

"...stop because for some reason it's not getting through that thick skull of yours but you got a lot more friends than you think. I didn't think Emma was going to let you out of her sight after what Abraham said to her in the jail house and don't even get me started on Granny and Henry, they are two seconds from adopting you..."

"Jefferson. Stop."

"No Vic, I mean it, you think that it has to be you, but it didn't. It still doesn't. I..."

"Jefferson. That's enough!" Victor had heard enough. He appreciated what Jefferson was trying to do, show him comfort in these last few moments. Make him believe there were people on the other side of that portal that cared about him. But Victor had always been a realist. He knew why it had to be him. He was, of all of them, the most expendable. Who needs a medical doctor in a land of magic?

"Vic, please. Why..."

"Jefferson." Victor looked his former traveling partner in the eye. It would probably be best to put this in terminology he would understand.

"We both know how my story ends."

Jefferson's defiance seemed to melt out of him. He seemed older...no not older. Tired. Weary. Victor knew he had won. Jefferson wouldn't abandon his daughter, not for a lost cause like him. The entire thing was beginning to feel rather maudlin. Victor thought this wasn't how he wanted his last memory of the Mad Hatter to be. So unlike the man he had once seen talk a pirate out of his peg leg, simply because he wanted to see if he could.

"Now then. You get on through there. You take care of that daughter of yours. Try to keep her away from boys like me."

Jefferson was smiling at least. Though it looked very forced.

"Well at least you wont be around to hit on her when she turns 18."

"She could do a lot worse than me."

"True, there are ogres in the Enchanted Forest."

It was so close to being like their old banter that Victor felt a small pang of regret in his heart. He really was going to miss this. No time for sentimentality now. What was done was done.

"I meant it you know. I will find a way to come get you."

"Assuming I survive the rift imploding or the darkness consuming everything of course. I sincerely doubt the Charming family is going to let you risk bringing the darkness or opening another rift just to come back and retrieve me."

Jefferson's smile was much more sincere now. Victor almost felt like he was being left out of a joke.

"I will see you soon Vic." Jefferson stuck out his hand. There was that optimism he had once so admired. Victor knew it was false hope. He had already calculated the odds of his survival the moment Jefferson had laid out their plan. The odds were decidedly against him. Victor, despite knowing the truth, despite all of the evidence, despite everything pointing to his inevitable demise, allowed himself the smallest of smiles and the barest glimmer of hope.

"I've never doubted you before." They shook hands. Jefferson's smile was full on now. Jefferson started walking backwards towards the tornado. It's winds were beginning to pick up speed. With Regina and Gold gone it would become less stable, more violent. Victor was just about to tell Jefferson that he should hurry up. What was the man waiting for, and why did he look so smug?

"Mind telling me what's so funny." Victor practically had to shout.

"Victor Frankenstein, Man of Science. Showing a little faith. Never thought I would live to see the day." Jefferson winked at Victor and then disappeared. Victor thought it was rather rude of him to leave like that. Victor knew twelve ways he could have rebutted that statement if given the chance. Jefferson did enjoy getting the last word in.

Victor picked up Abraham and carried him to the car. He drove them to where Regina had said the rift would be widest. He waited. Every moment led his thoughts toward his brother. All he had to do was drive through the rift with Abraham. There was just as much a chance that he would die here as he would traveling through the rift. Gerhardt...his little brother was closer than he had ever been. The rift widened. Victor continued to stare.

Slowly, methodically, he opened the driver's side door. He pulled Abraham over into the driver's seat. He put Abraham's seatbelt on. That was really the only protection the man was going to have. Victor doubted it would be enough. He could just kill him and then push the car through. Or kill him and take the car and head for the town border. He wasn't a hero, why the hell was he letting this man live? He sighed. Apparently he had been spending too much time around the good guys. He put the car in drive and watched it disappear through the rift. He was going to miss that car.

Victor followed Jefferson's instructions about spreading the dust around and saying the right words to seal the rift. He repeated the whole thing with the portal. He hoped he had said all the words right. He might have stuttered through a few of them. Victor had a terrible image of this whole thing going Army of Darkness on him very quickly. Maybe he should have asked Gold to replace his arm with a shotgun. Gold probably would have done it. Oh well, opportunity missed.

When it was all done, Victor was a little disappointed to realize that the darkness still had a little ways to go before it caught up to him. He could see the tornado was beginning to break free. It wouldn't be too much longer now, a few more minutes. Still, that was too much time. He had hoped he wouldn't be left alone with his thoughts for too long. They kept straying to Gerhardt. He doubted his brother was still intact. Abraham's presence had confirmed some of Victor's darker thoughts about what could have happened in his absence. He vaguely wondered if his father was still alive. But it was a passing thought, Victor gave it no real introspection.

So Victor stood, staring as buildings began to be ripped apart like pieces of tissue paper. As trees were pulled from their roots in the ground and flung around. It was beautiful in a way. Victor had always found beauty in the oddest of things.

The wind was cutting now, he could feel his skin tearing in small places. His cheek, his hands. He considered moving, running for the border. But he didn't. He stood in the center of the storm. He had never feared death before. Hated it? Yes. But feared it? Never.

The noises around him became silence. He thought his ear drums had popped from all the noise. The tornado and the darkness had collided. Victor didn't know why he expected an explosion, or a burst of white light. Maybe because that's always what seemed to happen in movies and tv shows when two immense forces rushed together. But this, this was...nothing. Where there had once been stores, homes, and half a town, there was now nothing. And the nothing was moving towards him. He wondered what would happen when the nothing hit the rift. Maybe that would cause an explosion. Victor never got the chance to find out.

He felt himself being flung backwards. He didn't know why, or what had caused his sudden aerial movement only that he was airborne. Victor could see the sky above him. Odd how blue it suddenly seemed. Victor closed his eyes. And as his body impacted the ground, a thought ran through his head. A thought he had denied himself for years. A thought he had to have, especially if it was to be his last.

"Goodbye brother."

Chapter 10

Mother nature had a way of reminding a person just how small and insignificant they were. No matter how hard you work or how good you are, she can just come in and take it all away. No reason, no explanation. Just everything gone. It was rather humbling to think about, even more-so when you see it for yourself. The workers who picked through the debris, what little there was, of Storybrooke said that they had never seen such destruction. Not a single board still standing or piece of concrete left in the town. The road apparently just ended at the border. They had to get ATV's just to get in to the former main area of town to check for survivors.

There wasn't an exact count of how many people used to live in Storybrooke. Nobody seemed to know why, and the situation was made even more confusing by the fact that there were no relatives outside of town they could contact. Apparently every single person who lived there, stayed there. No cousins in a town over, no kids off at college, no grandparents down in Florida. They knew the town existed, it was on the map. It had a road and, at one point, a sign leading people in. But no one seemed to have ever actually been there. No one would have even noticed that the town was gone if a car hadn't fallen out of the sky and landed in a nearby convenience store. A tornado, this far north was unheard of. But it was the only thing that made any sense, so that had to be what happened.

The longer the search went on, the less and less likely it seemed that anyone had survived. It was the end of the second day when they found him. One of the search dogs actually found him, half buried under a pine tree. The rescuers had assumed he was dead. He looked dead. No one could have survived such a devastating event. But somehow he did. Most called it a miracle. Others magic. He would have argued both points had he been awake.

It was three weeks before he woke up from the medically induced coma. Another week for him to actually wake up and be cognizant of the world around him. But even then, even when he could remember the names of the doctors and what year it was and who the president was, he was having trouble with his own name. With the names of anyone from the town. The nightmares weren't helping. Survivor's guilt they said. He didn't think that's what it was but really it made sense. He would have diagnosed himself with that if it had been the other way around.

But then. Then things stopped making sense. His own memories stopped making sense. He had to be transferred to another facility after a small misunderstanding involving another patient, him, and a scalpel. He had just been trying to help really. It wasn't his fault they didn't understand that.

The blankets here itched his skin. Patient comfort, in relation to thread count of sheets, was probably not high on their list of priorities. Dr. Whale had...no, that's not how it's supposed to be. I. I had 1000 Count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets in my condo. They stressed that here, referring to himself as I. Sometimes he slipped and still referred to himself as Dr. Whale. It was a coping mechanism, he was aware of that. Disassociate from the trauma, remove yourself from the event. Create a separate person that the terrible events happened to. Dr. Connors was still working with him about it. The first few weeks he had been here at been...uncomfortable to say the least. He recalled their first session.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't think that's how these meetings are supposed to go. Aren't you supposed to ask me about what happened, how I got here, my deep dark childhood secrets that will come back to me eventually leading to an emotional breakthrough by which I will then be released from this institution."

"Is that what you think we are working towards here?"

"What else is there? Why else would I agree to talk with you if not to try and gain my freedom."

"You aren't incarcerated here John."

"That isn't my name. It's Victor."

"Right. Dr. Victor Whale. That's the name you gave the police after you regained consciousness. You told them, and stop me if I get anything wrong here, that you lived in Storybrooke your whole life and that you were a Doctor at the local hospital. Now, after what happened to the town, the police were unable to determine your identity. So they looked for you in the AMA database. There is no record of you having ever attended medical school in the United States."

"I must have attended outside of the US."

"You also said you had never left Storybrooke before."

"I...Yes that is correct. But I...I was a doctor. Ask me any medically related question and I can answer it."

"John, no one is questioning your intelligence."

"Stop calling me that."

"John Doe is the name given to those who have no name, no identity. So until we determine what yours is, I am going to continue to call you John. I want you to remember, to be able to tell me what your real name is."

"It's Victor."

Their first few sessions had been like that actually. Victor would argue with Dr. Connors about facts of his own life. Things he knew were true, things he would swear to. But then Dr. Connors would bring up some minor point, some little detail that would cause Victor to question what he was saying. He had though that between the headaches and the nightmares that he was doing rather well keeping himself together. He didn't tell Dr. Connors about them at first. Of course, the fact that he was waking up every night screaming so loud it woke the entire hall was probably a pretty good indicator.

"Tell me about the nightmares John. Was it about the tornado?"

Victor had wanted to resist. He found this entire scenario ridiculous. He had survived a disaster, he wasn't the first person. He didn't think he was suffering a mental breakdown. He knew, or at least most of the time he thought he knew, what had happened. But if he ever wanted to get out of here, he was going to have to play along.

"No. Not exactly. I see everyone in the town and they are jumping into the tornado, but I'm not afraid of it. In fact I am helping some people go toward it. They thank me as I throw them into it. They...they aren't dead. I can see it so clearly in my mind, it makes no sense but I know for a fact that every person in that town is still alive somewhere. It's after the tornado is gone and everyone is safe, it's when I'm standing all alone in that abandoned town, these...things start to come for me. I recognize them, they're monsters...like creatures out of old horror movies. And then my brother is there and he keeps telling me to come with him but the monsters are pulling him apart and I can't get to him in time and..."

"You have a brother?"

"I...no. Dr. Whale is an only child."

"John..."

"Victor."

"John. What you are dealing with, what your dream is trying to show you, is classic survivors guilt. You have convinced yourself that some how what happened to those people is your fault. That there is no way that you could have survived something so destructive, that everyone you have ever known is dead. Your mind simply can't handle that terrible truth, so it created this split in you. You have created this Dr. Whale persona, this man that lived in that town, saw those people every day, had friends and family, and you have made him separate from the man you are now. Because in your mind who you were, this Dr. Whale, can't possibly have survived such a trauma. And who you are now, Victor, is the one who has to pick up the pieces. Has to try to move on."

Dr. Connors was truly trying to help him, so Victor resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Psychiatrists...Victor couldn't believe they were allowed to use the title of Doctor. He was probably repeating some bullshit line he had read about PTSD in an online article. He had no idea what he was talking about. Victor was going to try his best not to insult the man who held his freedom in his hands. He didn't know how long he would succeed though.

"That is an interesting point...Doctor."

Victor went through the motions. He answered the questions, he was polite, cordial. Not in any way a danger to himself or others. It was entirely by accident really. They were outside, some type of activity meant to stimulate their bodies and minds, when one of the other patients slipped. She fell and sliced her arm up to her elbow. The nurses rushed to her, but Victor was closer. He applied pressure to the wound and, without thinking, began giving orders to the nurses. They did not take that well. He was sent back to his room when a real doctor showed up. Victor would have forgotten about the incident except...except there was a small stain of blood on his left sleeve. A small thing, easily overlooked. But for some reason it was all he could focus on. He couldn't tear his eyes away. He stared at it for hours. He was staring at it when the memories started to creep in. The conflicting, unhinging memories. A man on a table, people lying dead on a street with rashes on their faces, blood everywhere, he saw himself lying on the ground...his arm was...

Frankenstein. The name embedded itself in his mind. He was Victor Frankenstein. Oh god. He actually was insane. Apparently the trauma had been as severe as Dr. Connors had thought. He didn't just think he was Dr. Whale, he also thought he was Victor Frankenstein. The monsters he saw in his dream, the fact that the color seemed to drain from the town once everyone escaped into the tornado. Victor sat on the edge of his bed. He stared at his hands, a memory of sewing together a body...his brothers body.

Victor bolted from the bed. He had to get out of here. He couldn't breathe in this room. So this is what it felt like to be insane. He screamed for the nurses, for anyone. Please. They had to let him out, they had to.

Victor woke hours later. Arm restraints. That was new.

"Welcome back John."

"What happened?"

"You had a bit of an incident earlier. I'm sorry about the restraints but, I think it's for the best."

"I'm insane."

"John we..."

"My name isn't John. But I'm pretty sure it's not Victor either."

"What makes you say that?"

"I had these flashes. These memories. I think...I think I'm Victor Frankenstein." The pity in Dr. Connors eyes made Victor want to slap him. "Clearly I have to be insane. Which is a bit of a surprise to me. I thought..." Victor didn't know what to think. He was sure with a hundred percent accuracy that he was Dr. Frankenstein, but he was also one hundred percent sure he was Dr. James Whale.

"I think my name might be James..."

"James Whale?"

"I...I think that might be right." Victor thought psychiatrists were supposed to be trained on how to keep emotions out of their faces when talking to the mentally ill. If only he had his arms free.

"What?"

"I always liked the old Universal Horror movies. The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, The Mummy. I used to watch them all the time with my dad when I was a kid. Bought all the ones that have come out on dvd. I still watch them every now and then. Just something about them, seems to make our lives a little less terrifying, you know?"

"Dr. Connors, what..."

"Frankenstein was my father's favorite. I've seen it dozens of times, even had the poster on my wall at college. John...James Whale. This name that you've given yourself. James Whale directed the original Frankenstein movie."

Victor had no words. Eventually his brain remembered how to form sentences into a coherent thought.

"So, it's entirely possible that the Dr. Whale personality, the person that I think I am...never existed."

"John we still need to..."

Victor stopped listening. He tried to make sense of all the conflicting thoughts in his head. Dr. Whale had never seemed real to him, it was a name, an old memory. Dr. Whale was like looking at a photograph of himself. He could see it, he knew that it must have happened because there staring back at him was the proof, but he had no real emotional memory of it. Dr. Whale may have been a false memory but it was all he had so he had accepted it as truth. Now with these...Dr. Frankenstein memories. They felt like yesterday, like they just happened; the image of his brother felt like punch to the stomach. He could actually feel the memories that Victor had.

"I'm rather tired Dr. Connors."

"Of course. We will talk more about this tomorrow."

So Victor was left alone, with real memories that felt fake, and obviously false memories that felt real. It was exhausting, trying to determine what was true and what wasn't. Obviously the Frankenstein memories were false, they had to be. But if there wasn't a Dr. Whale either...was there any part of him that was real? Maybe he had died in the tornado that had engulfed an entire town. Maybe this was hell.

Dr. Connors continued their sessions but Victor found himself less and less willing to participate. The Frankenstein memories were still there, conflicting with everything Dr. Whale knew to be true. Most days now, Victor laid on his itchy sheets and stared at the wall across from him. He spent all of his time trying to make both sets of memories go away. He found that if he focused on a crack in the wall, if he put all his effort into it, he could think of nothing. Nothing existed in his world except his sessions with Dr. Connors and that crack in the wall.

He could tell that Dr. Connors knew he had given up. Dr. Connors was talking about taking more extreme measures in his therapy. Asking the doctor for a lobotomy had probably been a step too far. Now there were people watching him, checking in on him all the time. He didn't know what they thought he was going to do, all he wanted was to be left alone. He needed to be able to concentrate, to focus. To forget.

If he hadn't thought he was insane before, the sudden appearance of two people blocking his view would have really been the final nail in the coffin. So he was hallucinating now. Spectacular.

"Victor! Finally. I thought we were going to end up at another dead-end. I told you I could find him." The man and woman seemed happy to see him. Well at least his hallucinations were friendly, he supposed he should be thankful that they weren't telling him to kill. Although they had just gotten here. They could be leading up to it, he wasn't really sure how hallucinations worked for the insane.

"We're sorry it took so long." The woman was attractive at least. She looked...so familiar. Oh god.

"You worked in the diner." Victor felt like crying. He was hallucinating people from the town. He was talking to dead people. Maybe his life really was a bad horror film after all.

"Is he ok?" The woman was deferring to the man with the ridiculous hat. He seemed like the type of hallucination that would tell him to start fires.

"The left over effects of the curse must have jumbled his brain up. Probably made him forget who he was when he was taken out of Storybrooke. But it wouldn't have been as strong as before." These hallucinations were rather rude. Talking about him as though he wasn't really there. They were the ones that weren't there.

"You remember us don't you, Victor?"

"That can't be my name."

"Yea the curse messed him up good. You remember stuff don't you? Things you can't possibly believe are real and, knowing you, that means you have over thought every detail and come up to the only logical conclusion that your pretty little scientific brain could come to. You have convinced yourself you are insane haven't you. I knew we should have gotten here sooner. I told you..."

"We got here as soon as we could Jefferson. You know that. Everyone was working on it. It took as long as it took. You know this was the only way."

The man, Jefferson apparently, didn't seem thrilled with her answer but he begrudgingly accepted it. His morose demeanor seemed to change in a blink of the eye and suddenly he was smiling again.

"Well none of that matters. Trust me, I'm an expert on a little temporary insanity. It will just be one more thing we can bond over Vic. Once we get you home, everything will be fine. Speaking of, we are kind of on a very tight timetable right now. We need to get this show on the road."

The woman was looking at him, there was a sadness in her gaze he couldn't place. Maybe he had known her more intimately than he remembered. There was something about her that sparked...something.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She scrunched up her nose when she was confused. What an adorable hallucination. He supposed he could learn to live with her around.

"For...you being dead. I...I think I had something to do with it."

"You think you killed us? Hold on, you've been locked up here for the past few weeks believing that we were all dead and it was somehow your fault?" She was cute when she was angry. He wondered what it said about him that he was attracted to a figment of his own mind. Probably nothing good. "I am going to kill Cora when we get back. I don't care what..."

"Red. Focus. We have to go. Get him up and ready."

Was he going somewhere? He couldn't leave. If he left, if he didn't have that crack in the wall to focus on, then all the memories would sneak in. Would...well he guessed he couldn't go more insane, but the memories made his insanity seem so real. So final. He figured this was all apart of it. His mind was telling him to let go of reality completely. If he went where ever these two wanted him to go, that was it. He would never get better. He would just be another insane mental patient who couldn't tell the difference between dreams and reality. He would never find out who he really was.

"Victor."

The man in the hat was glaring at him.

"Stop over analyzing the situation. You are going to come with us and we will get it all sorted out, ok?"

How did...of course if he was a figment of Victor's mind, he would know exactly what he was thinking. The woman...Red, began helping him out of bed. Not that he needed it, but he wasn't about to tell her that. She was rather attractive.

"I promise Victor, once you come with us, all of your real memories will come back. You just have to trust us."

Trust them. Trust two people who magically appeared in a psych ward, who wanted to take him away from this place to a yet unspecified location. That seemed a bit of a stretch. Even a sane person would have trouble accepting them at their word.

"I don't know if I can." Red seemed almost amused by this.

"You can. You have. I know...I know you didn't realize it, but you have a lot of friends waiting for you. We have been searching for you. We just want to take you home."

"I would let you take me anywhere." His crass remark was actually met with laughs from both parties.

"Yea. He's going to be fine." Jefferson was spinning his hat and doing something with what appeared to be a goblet. Definitely insane then. Yet. Yet it all felt so familiar. So...right. When a black and purple vortex started to emerge from the hat, Victor decided to stop questioning what had gone wrong in his mind. Jefferson and Red took his hands. He wanted to go but...he dug in his heels.

"Vic we don't have a lot of time."

He didn't know why he was hesitating. He wanted so desperately to go with them. To just be done with all this questioning and doubt. But there was this large part of his brain, this detached, clinical side that was screaming at him. This isn't real. You know this can't be real. There is no such thing as magic hats and tornados that don't kill people but send them to other places. So he was Frankenstein and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. He wondered what Dr. Connors would say about this newest revelation. He supposed Jefferson would be the scarecrow. He was getting a lion vibe with Red though. He just needed to step back and look at the situation...

"Victor, come on buddy. You know you want to trust us." Jefferson seemed rather impatient, yet Victor kind of liked that about him. Ruby tugged slightly on his hand. Not enough to pull him forward, just enough to remind him. Remind him they had to go, but that it was his choice.

Victor glanced towards his crack in the wall, then back to the two people before him. He had to make a choice. No memories, no pain, nothing but this room and that crack for the rest of his life. Or full-blown, painful, imperfect life.

What the hell. If he was going to be insane, he might as well have company.

They saw it in his eyes, the shift. The move from accepting that he would never leave this room to the fear that came with venturing forward. With deciding to live, damn the consequences and the fear. 

Victor closed his eyes and jumped into the unknown, hoping it would take him home.


End file.
